Tradie left with no ute and Christmas bill after youths from juvenile detention allegedly stole it

A shattered tradie faces a hefty bill in the lead up to Christmas after his ute was allegedly stolen from his home and written off in a crash several days later.

Max Cherepanov has been left without a vehicle after his Toyota HiLux was allegedly stolen while his wife and baby daughter were sleeping at their Mareeba home in the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland on December 7.

Tools and other construction gear stored in the tandem axle box trailer attached to the ute were also taken.

The ute was involved in a single vehicle crash on Sunday morning with police finding it an hour away from Mr Cherepanov’s home smashed and flipped on its side.

Mr Cherepanov said he was told by police his ute had allegedly been stolen by a group of youths just hours after they were released from juvenile detention. 

The ute then ended up with a second group who were allegedly seen speeding around Manunda and Mooroobool early Sunday before the car was found smashed.

Police allege the four occupants fled the scene before they were arrested a short time later.

Photos from the crash scene show the smashed-up ute flipped onto its side with the canopy from the tray completely torn off due to the force of the impact.

‘Car has been found. Definitely not in one piece,’ Mr Cherepanov’s wife Olivia captioned photos of the damaged ute.

The trailer containing her husband’s tools was found dumped in Mareeba.

He now has no vehicle and half of his tools have been either damaged or misplaced.

‘I’m devastated, but as a father you have to keep it together. It has been a rude awakening and I never thought it would happen to us,’ Mr Cherepanov told the Cairns Post.

‘I am still missing $10,000 in gear, I am waiting for some of it to pop up but not asking for a miracle.’ 

Max Cherepanov and his wife Olivia (pictured) have expressed anger over the alleged incident

Queensland Police allege the occupants in the Toyota HiLux had fled by the time officers arrived at the crash scene around 6.20am on Sunday.

Two adults and two youth were later arrested during patrols of the area, a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

A Manunda woman, 18 will appear in Cairns Magistrates Court on January 11 after she was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving without a licence, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and receiving tainted property.

A Manunda man, 19, was charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, attempted enter dwelling with intent and stealing.

He was due to face Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday morning (December 12).

Max Cherepanov’s ute before it was allegedly stolen outside his home on December 7

A 16-year-old Holloways Beach boy has been charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, driving without a licence, stealing and receiving tainted property.

A 17-year-old Woree girl has been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Both teenagers will appear before Cairns Children’s Court.

A Cooktown girl, 17, will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.