A woman has been charged after she allegedly set a police car on fire during a riot which broke out outside of Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday night.
A woman has been charged with attempted arson after she allegedly set a police car on fire during a riot outside the Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday night.
A large crowd assembled outside where a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old girl was being treated.
The 47-year-old man, identified by police as Jefferson Lewis, was arrested after the body of a child believed to be Kumanjayi Little Baby was discovered following a five-day search.
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The violence started late in the evening as the grieving crowd demanded the man be handed over to be dealt with by cultural traditions.
Tear gas was used by police in an effort to disperse protesters.
Lewis has been moved to Darwin in a bid to ease tensions in Alice Springs.
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During the unrest, police allege a woman used a lighter and dried grass to start a fire beneath a Southern Traffic Operations vehicle.
Officers said a woman was arrested at the scene and the fire was extinguished before it could spread further.
Police allege the vehicle suffered about $20,000 damage.
The woman has been charged with one count of attempt arson and one count of taking part in a riot.
She remains in custody and is expected to face court next week.
For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).

