Two “dangerous” fugitives who allegedly fled NSW after kidnapping a man, shooting him and leaving him for dead in a national park, have been arrested by heavily armed police in outback WA.
A woman, aged 38, and a man, 25, were taken into custody in the remote roadhouse community of Balladonia, 500km west of the South Australian border, on November 20 when their Holden Trax was surrounded by officers.
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The arrest came five days after the pair and another woman allegedly kidnapped a 32-year-old man at gun point from a home in Port Macquarie.
They then took him to Bago Bluff National Park and shot him several times in the arms and legs before leaving him for dead, police claim.
NSW Police Inspector Peter O’Reilly said the man was found by a trail runner “naked and bleeding”.
“It was apparent he’d been shot on a number of occasions,” O’Reilly said.
Paramedics treated him at the scene on Rollover Rd in Bago before he was taken by ambulance to hospital in serious condition.
Two of the three alleged kidnappers made their way across Australia in the 2014-model Holden SUV.
Tipped off by authorities on the east coast that they had crossed the border, a WA arrest team was formed to search for the car which was believed to be suffering mechanical issues.
They found it in scrubland about 100m from the Balladonia Roadhouse.
‘High-risk arrest’
The car was surrounded by police before the wanted pair, described by WA Police as “dangerous”, were taken in custody.
A 38-year-old officer suffered minor facial injuries during the “high-risk arrest” and police allegedly found a loaded sawn-off rifle when they searched the car.
The man and woman were extradited from Perth to NSW this week to face kidnapping and attempted murder charges.
Both have been refused bail.
Police are unsure why the accused, both from Port Macquarie, chose WA as their destination after allegedly carrying out their crimes.
The investigation continues and police are still searching for a 27-year-old woman.
Police believe all parties are known to each other.
The injured man remains in hospital in a stable condition.
“He has been spoken to by detectives,” O’Reilly said.