A 16-year-old boy is assisting police after a female rideshare driver was repeatedly stabbed and left for dead in a car park.
The woman was rushed to hospital after being discovered semi-conscious in her vehicle by a security guard at a Gold Coast shopping centre early on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old remains in a critical condition at Gold Coast University Hospital with stab wounds to her head, neck and back, police said.
After launching a search, police on Wednesday afternoon said a 16-year-old Coomera boy was assisting their investigations.
Police had earlier alleged a male booked a ride with the female Uber driver and they travelled from Hope Island to Coomera before she was discovered about 1.25am.
"Our investigations say that she was there for an hour or two before being discovered by the security guard," Gold Coast Detective Inspector Paul Fletcher told reporters.
The suspect had been described as possibly late teens to early 20s with dark hair, and last seen wearing a green T-shirt and grey tracksuit pants.
Police launched a sweeping search after cordoning off part of the Foxwell Road shopping centre on the Gold Coast, with a dog squad seen combing the area.
Police said they were unsure of the motive for the attack or the reason behind attending the shopping centre in the early hours of the morning.
Uber and shopping centre management have been assisting police, Det Insp Fletcher said.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage of Foxwell Road between 11pm and 12am should contact police, he said.
