Police hunt youths after water balloons dropped onto moving cars in Leederville, including a mother and child

A Perth mother says she and her young son were lucky to escape injury after a water-filled balloon launched from the Leederville overpass crashed into her windshield.

Taryn Bourne’s car was one of three vehicles damaged in balloon attacks on May 17, police said.

A boy in Galup, formerly known as Monger Lake, had just left a play date and was driving with his three-year-old son when the balloon shattered his windshield.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Vincent Avenue and Lake Monger Road.

“It was such a shock,” Ms Bourne said.

“I jumped out of the traffic lights and suddenly my windshield shattered.”

The mother said she was only traveling at 40km/h when the impact shattered her window.

“I had only gone about 40km because I had just left the traffic lights,” Ms Bourne said.

Photos taken afterward show that the balloon’s launch was a target that shattered the center of the windshield. Part of the offending balloon remained inside the glass.

His son was sitting in the backseat.

“’What was that?’ he asked. It was a bit of a shock,” Ms Bourne said.

The woman believes that if the balloon hits a motorcyclist or causes the rider to lose control due to the collision, the result could be catastrophic.

“If someone had been going faster, or if it had been a motorbike, a P-plate driver or an elderly driver, the situation certainly could have been much worse,” he said.

“Like if there was too much traffic I could have gone off the road or something.

“It definitely could have gotten us injured or worse.”

Ms Bourne said the balloon was not an ordinary water bomb, but a normal balloon filled with water and was “about the size of a football”.

While numerous motorists stopped to help after witnessing the frightening incident, a City of Vincent employee reportedly captured footage of a group of teenagers on the bridge and forwarded it to police.

The City of Vincent did not provide the video.

Ms Bourke said about 40 minutes after the incident she saw the group again carrying more balloons.

“They were riding e-bikes and e-scooters and were wearing motorcycle helmets,” he said.

The mother initially thought the group was young, but later, after her husband got closer, she believed some of them might be much younger.

“I originally thought they would be around 15,” he said.

“My husband said some of the kids looked pretty small. So they could be as young as nine or ten.”

What surprised him most was the claim that the group returned despite the police arriving in the area.

“There was police in the area and the kids still came back,” he said.

“They would see me break my window and then they would break it again.”

Another victim came forward on a Leederville community Facebook group after their car was damaged on the exact same day, around 4 p.m.

Ms Bourne said the incident occurred about an hour earlier and she witnessed the group returning to the site with yet another water balloon.

Wembley Police are continuing to investigate the incident, which is believed to have occurred between 2.50pm and 3.10pm.

“Around 3pm police received multiple reports of a group of unidentified youths throwing water balloons from the cycle overpass adjacent to the Mitchell Highway in Leederville at vehicles traveling along Vincent Street,” WA Police said.

Police confirmed three vehicles suffered significant damage as a result of the incident, including shattered windshields.

“Police patrolled and patrolled but the group fled before arriving,” they said.

“The unknown group is stated to be approximately 14 to 17 years old and some travel by e-scooter and bicycle.

“The group was last seen fleeing northbound along the bike path towards Richmond Avenue in Leederville around 3:20 p.m.”

Police have warned that throwing objects at moving vehicles is extremely dangerous and could cause serious accidents, injuries or death.

“Throwing objects at vehicles can constitute a range of offenses under Western Australian law, depending on the circumstances, including criminal damage, acts posing a risk of bodily harm, assault offences, and offenses involving intent to endanger life, all of which carry serious penalties, including imprisonment,” they said.

Officers are appealing for anyone with information about the incident, including CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage, to report to authorities. Crime Stoppers or by calling 1800 333 000.