An 18-year-old man who allegedly assaulted two women who refused to buy him cigarettes and alcohol before smashing up a restaurant and six parked vehicles in Anula has been arrested after taunting police on social media for a week, NT Police said.

Police allege on March 30 at 8pm, the man approached a woman and asked her to buy him cigarettes and alcohol, but the woman refused, which kickstarted a crime spree that saw the man allegedly assault two women before damaging a restaurant and smashing the windscreens of six vehicles in the car park.

He was reportedly armed at the time with an undisclosed “weapon”.

Police said Strike Force Trident detectives searched for the male after the incident but they believe “people known to the offender assisted him in avoiding detection whilst he taunted police on social media”.

The exact nature of the online taunting was not disclosed.

On Wednesday morning, the man was arrested by detectives who finally located him.

The 18-year-old was charged with eight counts of damage to property, three counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of being armed with an offensive weapon, offensive behaviour in a public place and unlawful entry.

There were no charges for breach of bail listed.

He was expected to appear in Darwin Local Court today.