'Hero' grandma punches would-be carjacker in the face

“Good on her … quick thinking and did what she had to do to protect her grandchild.”

A grandmother has been hailed a hero for fighting off a would-be car thief as he allegedly tried to steal a car while the woman and her grandchild were inside.

The incident unfolded in Melbourne’s southwest on Friday.

A mother had driven to the Laverton post office on Aviation Rd to lodge a passport application.

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As she was inside, a 63-year-old grandmother and a baby waited in the back seat of the Range Rover.

RELATED: ‘He opened the back door and jumped in next to my kids’

A man exits a ute and jogs towards the Range Rover. Picture: Channel 9

He scurries away shortly after. Picture: Channel 9

Footage shows a man hopping out of a white four-door ute on the street and jogging over to the Range Rover.

When he approached the car, the grandmother punched him in the face, 9News reported.

CCTV captured the man scurrying away and getting back into the white ute.

RELATED: ‘He said if I didn’t open the car door, he’d kill my unborn baby’

A nearby worker describes the grandmother as a hero. Picture: Channel 9

"She did what she had to do"

“So lucky. Lucky grandma was there. She’s a hero” a post office worker said.

“Good on her … quick thinking and did what she had to do to protect her grandchild.”

Police arrested two men aged 22, and another 21-year-old male, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs the following day.

The trio face charges including home invasion, assault and making threats to kill, in relation to a series of alleged offending between June 19 and 21, and were remanded in custody.

Originally published as 'Hero' grandma punches would-be carjacker in the face