An allegedly stolen car with six youths inside has caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to artworks after crashing into a community gallery in Melbourne’s outer east overnight.
Police say the Audi ploughed into the Kapi Art Space in Kalorama, in the Dandenong Ranges, shortly after 3am, crashing through a stone barrier and pushing into the gallery before the youths fled the scene.
Police arrested a teenage girl near the gallery before receiving a report of an attempted car theft on nearby Price Road.
Three male teenagers and a female youth were then arrested after police flagged down a ride-share vehicle.
A sixth teenager was taken to hospital with a leg injury after police used the dog squad to locate them.
Kapi Art Space business owner Heather Bradbury said the car had pushed a number of meters into a corner of the gallery before nearly exiting through another wall, damaging about six works by local artists collectively worth thousands of dollars.
Police say the Audi ploughed into the Kapi Art Space in Kalorama, in the Dandenong Ranges, shortly after 3am.Credit:Nine
She said the vehicle narrowly missed a painting of a black cockatoo worth about $40,000 and emergency workers were able to salvage a valuable marble bust from the wreckage.
“I am shocked and really sad,” Bradbury said. “People love coming in and being part of the lovely community that we’ve created, but we’ll rebuild.”