‘Scared’: Beauty queen fights off Melbourne carjackers
A beauty queen has confronted carjackers in broad daylight after they attacked her father in a failed theft attempt in Melbourne's north.
A former Miss Universe Australia finalist recounted the frightening moment she and her father were caught up in Melbourne’s growing crime crisis.
Elizabeth Kalash, 28, sprang into action on Monday after her father Amir, 60, was confronted and attacked during a carjacking attempt outside their home in Coburg, an inner suburb in Melbourne.
CCTV footage captured the 2024 finalist quickly rushing to defend her father when he attempted to stop three potential thieves from stealing her Hyundai, which was parked at the front of their house in broad daylight.
A stolen silver Lexus pulled up and ran over her father’s foot as he tried to fight off the carjackers.
“Hey, what the f*** are you doing c***,” the beauty queen yelled as she came onto the street and held onto the bonnet of the Lexus.
Mr Kalash was then attacked, causing him to stumble back onto the kerb before the three criminals drove away in the Lexus without anything.
“It was heartbreaking,” she told 9News, explaining that she had no choice but to try and protect her father.
“I saw my father obviously get pushed, shoved, assaulted, thrown to the ground, and obviously tried to defend him, which anyone would do.”
She said the trio headed back to the scene soon after to pick up items they had left behind, including a mobile phone.
Ms Kalash said it was “a little bit confronting” as she didn’t know if they were coming back “with something” or “to do something”.
But she has no regrets about confronting the would-be thieves, especially after recently starting self-defence lessons as her city becomes more unsafe.
“You don’t know what to do, you’re just reacting to a fight or flight situation – and it was clearly fight,” Ms Kalash said.
“What has Melbourne come to? What was once the safest state has now become a place where we’re too scared to even sleep in our own homes.”
Her father spent one night in hospital and suffered a fractured foot.
He is still deeply affected by the experience after escaping war-torn Iraq to start a new life in Australia 30 years ago.
The trio are still on the run.
Victoria Police said the ordeal was a brazen and opportunistic attack.
“It’s pretty unnerving, it’s pretty confronting and it has significant impacts on victims,” Detective Senior Constable Patrick Perera said.
Victoria Police told news.com.au that the investigation remains ongoing.
They have released images of two men and a woman, aged between 35 and 40, who may assist with their investigation.
The first man is described as Middle Eastern, approximately 180cm tall, and unshaven.
He wore a black hat, dark sunglasses, a black ‘Nina Pasadena’ hoodie, blue work pants with reflective strips, and brown work boots.
The second man is described as Aboriginal, about 175cm tall, and unshaven.
He was seen wearing a black hat with a white motif, a brown AC/DC T-shirt, dark-coloured pants, and dark shoes.
The woman is described as Aboriginal, approximately 155cm tall, wearing a black beanie, a white T-shirt, and a dark maroon hoodie.
Originally published as ‘Scared’: Beauty queen fights off Melbourne carjackers
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