Rooty Hill station: Teen charged after allegedly threatening commuters with machete
Shocking CCTV footage shows the group of teens, allegedly armed with a machete, knives and a hammer, hurl threats at each other in front of terrified commuters at a western Sydney train station.
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Teens charged over alleged machete threats at Rooty Hill train station
A teen who allegedly pulled a machete on commuters at a western Sydney train station during peak hour earlier this month have been charged.
Police allege a male youth allegedly armed with a machete threatened commuters just at Rooty Hill train station before 5pm on June 12.
Shortly after, he was confronted by a group of four males, allegedly armed with a hammer and knives.
Shocking CCTV footage shows one of the teens, wearing a black tracksuit, allegedly wielding a machete as the four other teens with face coverings waving knives in front of shocked bystanders on the station stairs.
Police Transport Command’s Detective Superintendent Brad Monk described the incident as “alarming”.
“While, thankfully, no one was injured in this incident, the community doesn’t tolerate this kind of brazen behaviour and neither do we,” Det Supt Monk said.
“We regularly conduct patrols, but the community really is our eyes and ears – if you see something suspicious, call police immediately.”
Following an investigation, two boys, aged 16 and 17, were arrested in South Wentworthville and Ryde on June 18.
The 16-year-old boy was charged with two counts of affray and was granted bail to appear before a children’s court on July 31.
The 17-year-old boy was charged with two counts of affray and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence. He was refused bail and is due to next appear before a children’s court on August 5.
Police expect further arrests to be made.
Last Friday, June 19, officers arrested a third boy, aged 17, in Minchinbury. He was charged with affray and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence.
He was given bail to face a children’s court on July 27.
The arrests come after officers from the Police Transport Command launched the first stage of Operation Invertice, which targets robberies, assault and anti-social behaviour on the region’s public transport network.
Last week, officers were out in force at St Marys, Mt Druitt, Rooty Hill, Doonside and Blacktown train stations, charging 31 people with 46 offences, including assault, domestic violence, drug and weapons offences.
During the operation, police charged 34-year-old Tregear man, Shayne Morris, over an alleged altercation at Dawson Mall, near Mt Druitt train station.
Police allege at 7.30pm on Saturday, Morris tried to elbow a person while yelling and acting aggressively.
When officers tried to arrest the man, he allegedly resisted and tried to assault police.
He faces a string of charges, including, affray, assaulting police, resisting police and damaging property.
The previous day, police allege a Marayong man, 36, made threatening and sexual remarks to two girls, aged 13, at Toongabbie train station.
Police allege just before 4.30pm on Friday, the man approached the girls before chasing them and committing an indecent act in front of them.
He was arrested at a home in Marayong that night and charged with two counts of carrying out a sexual act with a child under 16, stalking/intimidation and possessing a prohibited drug.
The operation will continue across western Sydney railway stations tomorrow.