Both stolen patrol vehicles were recovered and all police equipment has been accounted for, police say (file photo).

A teenager who stole two police cars and led police on pursuits across the North Island was allegedly wanted for various offences involving thefts of cars during the lockdown.

Malcolm Karauria, 19, appeared in Hastings District Court on Wednesday facing various charges in relation to the theft of the police cars.

Stuff understands Karauria was wanted in relation to various alleged thefts that occurred during the lockdown.

The first, on April 9, involved the theft of a car. Karauria is understood to have filmed himself doing donuts in the car and speeding through Napier before crashing near the Hawke's Bay Airport.

READ MORE:



* Woman arrested after stealing police car in south Auckland, prompting two-hour search

* Man allegedly steals police guns after ramming patrol cars

* Police's new armed response team on hunt for 'person of interest' in Christchurch

The second, on April 12, allegedly involved Karauria fleeing from police in another stolen car. He drove toward oncoming traffic on Kennedy Rd and rammed a pursuing police car twice. Police abandoned the pursuit and Karauria allegedly stole another car and fled.

The following day Karauria allegedly stole another car and made an unsuccessful attempt to steal cigarettes from a service station.

On the evening of Tuesday, April 14, he was allegedly seen driving the stolen car in Napier. Police tried to pull him over but he fled at speeds of up to 120kmh in a 50kmh area and the pursuit was abandoned.

At around midnight on Tuesday police found Karauria at a Havelock North property. He was arrested and handcuffed and put in the back of a patrol car.

When the officer got out of the car to move Karauria into another car Karauria moved into the driver's seat. The car was still running and he sped away. He had moved the handcuffs to the front of his body and was driving while handcuffed.

​He is understood to have crashed the car at speed into a police prison van before leading police on a high-speed chase through Hastings, reaching speeds of 150kmh.

Karauria drove toward the Napier-Taihape Rd, managing to evade police until being stopped at the Springvale Suspension Bridge, 40 kilometres northeast of Taihape.

Here he was placed into the back of another police car. But while the officer left the car to retrieve road spikes Karauria jumped into the driver's seat. That car was also running and Karauria sped away again.

The officer called for help and the police car was found by another patrol car heading towards Whanganui. The car's tyres were deflated when it drove over road spikes. Karauria ran across farmland but was tracked by a police dog and arrested.

Karauria made a brief appearance before Judge Bridget Mackintosh on Wednesday.

He did not seek bail or name suppression and was remanded in custody without plea until May.

He faces 12 charges for alleged offending between April 9 and April 14, including two for unlawfully taking police vehicles.

A police spokesman said the police cars had "keyless entry / start technology".

"These two incidents are concerning, and there are lessons to be learnt from them," he said.

"When things go wrong we investigate thoroughly to ensure we fully understand what has happened and how to stop it occurring again," he said.