Stalker charge, firearms find and car crimes top the southeast crime wrap
A man has been charged with 11 counts of stalking after allegedly using online profiles to hunt his victims before leaving a number of explicit voicemail messages. Plus more crime from Melbourne’s southeast.
Inner South
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PAKENHAM
A man has been charged with 11 counts of stalking after allegedly calling people he had found online.
The 37-year-old from Deer Park allegedly called them between September 3, 2018 and October 4, 2019 and left explicit voicemail messages.
Police said he obtained the personal details of people aged in their teens and 20s – who are from Melbourne Ballarat and Pakenham – from online profiles.
The man was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Police urge the community to be cautious when displaying personal details on their social media accounts.
HAMPTON EAST
The owner of a series of American war medals stolen from a locked car in Hampton East is pleading for their return.
The medals, along with uniform and sketches, were in a purple shopping bag and have great sentimental value to the owner.
They were taken from the vehicle in a driveway on January 7.
Anyone with information of their whereabouts is urged to contact Moorabbin CIU on 9556 6121.
SOUTH YARRA
A thief dressed in a wet suit, flippers and a snorkel allegedly went diving for coins in the fountain outside the National Gallery of Victoria.
The man, a 57-year-old from South Yarra, was arrested by police about midday on January 27.
He had allegedly stolen a small amount of coins from the water by the time police arrived.
The well-equipped thief is expected to be charged on summons with theft and going equipped to steal.
Thousands of coins are thrown into the fountain at the NGV each year by locals and visitors.
Once thrown, the coins belong to the gallery and it is illegal to take them.
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PATTERSON LAKES
A man’s string of car-related crime cames to an end when police arrested him in Patterson Lakes on January 29.
Officers from Southern Metro Crime Team were investigating a car theft in Armadale where a Jeep was stolen from an address on Monday night.
Detectives believe the man then attended an address in Pleasant Rd, Hawthorn East early on Tuesday morning, broke into the premises and stole keys to a Mercedes sedan.
The Mercedes was then stolen from the property.
Police allege the man was seen in another Mercedes, again believed to be stolen, driving along the Monash Freeway at up to 200km/h around 1am on February 3.
A 19-year-old was arrested in Patterson Lakes about 1.45am Wednesday morning and is assisting police with their inquires.
A 16-year-old Mornington girl was also arrested and is assisting police.
FRANKSTON/MORNINGTON PENINSULA
Police have arrested five people in relation to a number of alleged vehicle crime offences as part of Operation Night Eagle.
Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives searched two properties in Hastings following an ongoing investigation into vehicle crime and drug-related offending.
Detectives arrested four people at a property on Curlew Court, Hastings including a 34-year-old man of no fixed address, a 29-year-old man from Hastings, a 31-year-old woman from Hastings and a 16-year-old boy from Hastings.
Police also seized a pen pistol, drugs and cash from the Curlew Court property.
All four were taken to a nearby police station and were interviewed by investigators.
Police also arrested a 17-year-old boy in relation to an alleged attempted aggravated burglary in Frankston South.
SOUTHEAST
Police have made 408 arrests and charged people with more than 2,950 vehicle crime-related offences in Melbourne’s southeast.
The arrests and charges are part of the Birds of Prey operation, which consists of three localised operations named Night Hawk, Night Owl and Night Eagle, and has been running across Port Phillip, Stonnington, Glen Eira Bayside, Kingston, Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula.
Operation Night Eagle detectives from the Frankston Crime Investigation Unit arrested a 34-year-old man from Seaford who was charged with 129 offences.
This included theft of motor vehicle, theft from motor vehicle, carjacking, armed robbery, arson, assault, property damage and theft offences.
More recently, they arrested a 19-year-old man after searching a property in Seaford on January 21.
Police also seized a number of allegedly stolen mobile phones.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with theft of motor vehicle and handle stolen goods. He has been remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
PORT MELBOURNE
A number of illegal firearms were seized on January 22 in Port Melbourne as part of a series of warrants across Melbourne.
Detectives from the Echo Taskforce arrested a 30-year-old Carrum Downs man and charged him with a string of offences, including possess a trafficable quantity of firearms, possess unregistered handgun and possess unregistered longarm.
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BENTLEIGH EAST
Police are chasing a man wanted over an aggravated burglary which occurred in Bentleigh East on January 20.
Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit detectives have been told a man broke into a property on North Rd about 3.30pm.
He unlocked the back door and disturbed a woman sleeping inside before fleeing the scene.
Investigators believe the man attended a fast food restaurant on North Rd fifteen minutes before the incident at about 3.15pm.
He was seen arriving in a dark blue Ford sedan.
The man is perceived as being caucasian appearance, aged in his 30s, about 170cm tall, with a medium build and a bald head.
He was wearing a white T-shirt, grey tracksuit pants, white runners and a black baseball cap.
FRANKSTON
A woman has been charged after a pensioner’s wallet was allegedly stolen at a Frankston shopping centre earlier this month.
It is alleged the woman took a large amount of cash out of a misplaced wallet in a Cranbourne Rd newsagency on January 9.
A 55-year-old Malvern East woman has been charged with one count of theft.
She was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on July 20.
FRANKSTON
A motorcyclist has died following a collision with a car in Frankston in early January.
Officers from Somerville Highway Patrol believe a man riding a motorbike on Cranbourne Rd collided into the rear of a Toyota Hilux that was turning right into Olive Grv on January 13 at 11.15am.
The 38-year-old Skye man was transported to hospital but a week later.
The driver of the Toyota, a 36-year-old Frankston man, was uninjured and stopped at the scene.