Melbourne north crime: Man charged after theft of inflatable Santas in Fawkner
An accused thief is on the naughty list after two large inflatable Santas were stolen in Fawkner; an alleged Roxburgh Park fire bug charged and a thief racking up bills on a stolen credit card are just some of the many Christmas crimes in your community.
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An accused thief is on the naughty list after two large inflatable Santas and three Christmas character statues were stolen from a home in Fawkner.
A 38-year-old man allegedly pinched the decorations from the front lawn of a property in Major Rd about 6am on December 30.
He has been charged over the alleged decorations heist, as well as an attempted armed robbery on Bonwick St about 3.30am the same day.
Police spokeswoman Nikki Ladgrove said a man approached a 37-year-old man and made demands for cash.
“The victim was able to get into his car and drive away unharmed,” she said.
She said police searched a Fawkner property on January 3 and found the allegedly stolen Christmas decorations and other property believed to be stolen.
A man was charged with attempted armed robbery, criminal damage, theft, wilful trespass, handling stolen goods and bail breaches and was remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
NORTHCOTE
A wallet was stolen in Northcote between November 18-19 before a man used one of the bank cards at several convenience stores and service stations in the Northcote and Melbourne areas between 8.20am-12.40am on November 19. Leading Senior Constable Rohan Imms said police wish to speak to a caucasian man, about 25 to 35 years old with a thin build.
ROXBURGH PARK
A man accused of starting multiple fires in Melbourne’s CBD on January 6 has been charged with arson. One of the fires led to an evacuation of the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Lonsdale St. The 27-year-old Roxburgh Park man allegedly started six suspicious fires within a short period of time. Police said the first incident allegedly took place at the Hotel Grand Chancellor about 10.40am, where flames caused extensive damage to the hotel’s linen room. More than 40 people were evacuated as a precaution. Within a short period of time emergency services also received reports of small paper fires outside buildings on Exhibition St, Haywood Lane and Russell St. There were no reported injuries from any of the fires. The 27-year-old accused man was arrested in the city a short time after the fires and charged with six counts of arson and two counts of theft.
CRAIGIEBURN
Three offenders are wanted over a Craigieburn service station ram raid. A utility reversed into the roller door of the store at the intersection of Hanson Rd and Kingswood Dv about 2.30am on January 6. Sergeant Julie-Anne Newman said the three offenders took cash before fleeing down Kingswood Dv toward the Hume Freeway.
AVONDALE HEIGHTS
A man out for an afternoon stroll has been bashed by a group of thugs during a frightening attempted robbery in Avondale Heights. Police said the 33-year-old man was walking along Riverside Ave when he was confronted by four men about 1.50pm on December 4. Police spokeswoman Nikki Ladgrove said one of the men asked to use the victim’s phone, but he refused and kept walking to a post office on Canning St. “He was then approached by the same man who made further demands for his phone while the other three men, perceived as being of Asian appearance, surrounded him,” she said. “The man then punched the victim multiple times in the face before fleeing the scene.” Detectives have released a computer-generated image of a man they want to speak to. He is described as being of Asian appearance, about 173cm tall, aged in his 30s and has a thin build. He was wearing a black hooded jumper, dark tracksuit pants, a dark coloured baseball cap and sneakers.
JACANA
A motorcyclist was killed after he collided with a car in Jacana in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Sergeant Julie-Anne Newman said the man, who was travelling north on Pascoe Vale Rd, and a car travelling south and turning near Lichfield Ave, collided about 2am. “Sadly the motorcyclist believed aged in his 20s died at the scene,” she said. “Police are investigating whether speed was a factor in the collision.” The woman driving the car was not injured. It was the first death on Victoria’s roads for 2020.
MOONEE PONDS / BRUNSWICK WEST
Police have caught a driver in Moonee Ponds with an alleged reading of almost six times the legal limit on January 4. After multiple calls to triple-0 describing an erratic driver police found the vehicle pulled over on Pratt St about 2.30pm driven by a 51-year-old woman. The Brunswick West driver allegedly returned a reading of 0.296 and was travelling with her elderly mother. She had her licence suspended, car impounded, and will be charged on summons with drink driving offences.
COBURG NORTH / AVONDALE HEIGHTS / ROXBURGH PARK
Police are searching for a white Porsche Macan stolen from Coburg North on Christmas Day. The vehicle, with registration AQK314, was stolen from a Kingsford Ave address about 7.30pm. It is believed the Porsche was since involved in a series of residential burglaries in Avondale Heights and Roxburgh Park as well as a burglaries at businesses in Craigieburn and Coolaroo between December 26 and January 3.
HOPPERS CROSSING
A 23-year-old P-plater, driving his dad’s Holden Commodore in Hoppers Crossing, allegedly returned a reading of 0.034 when he was pulled over in Normandy Ave about 11.30am on Sunday. The car, which did not have P-plates displayed, was impounded for 30 days at a cost of $896 and the man charged with numerous traffic offences.
RESERVOIR
A woman died after the car she was travelling in lost control and hit a pole in Reservoir on January 2. The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was a passenger in the car when it crashed about 2.20pm on Gilbert Rd. Senior Constable Adam West said emergency services tried but were not able to revive her. “The driver of the car, also believed to be in his 60s, has been taken to hospital in a critical condition,” he said. Anyone who witnessed the crash or with dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
RESERVOIR / COBURG
A warrant has been issued for David McCulloch for deception offences. The 52-year-old is known to visit the Richmond, Reservoir and Coburg areas. Investigators have released an image of McCulloch in the hope that someone may have information on his current whereabouts.
SUNSHINE WEST
A community advice message was issued for smoke after a large scrap metal fire broke out in Sunshine West on January 2. Fire crews were called the metal recycling yard on Boundary Rd about 2.30pm. All workers at the site were safely evacuated and 28 firefighters brought the 400sq m blaze under control in 40 minutes.
EPPING
A motorcyclist was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries after he collided with another vehicle in Epping. Senior Constable Adam West said the man, aged in his 30s, collided with the vehicle in High St just after 12am on December 28. “The driver and vehicle left the scene but a man attended a short time later and told police that he was the driver,” he said. He is currently assisting investigators.
GLENROY
A house was destroyed by fire in Glenroy on January 2. Fire crews were called to Hartington St just before 4am and arrived within eight minutes to find the fire extending to the roof. Firefighters searched the single storey weatherboard house to make sure no one was home before launching an aerial attack to try and contain the blaze. The fire was declared under control at 4:25am. The cause is yet to be determined by fire investigators. The house was extensively damaged.
HEIDELBERG
Firefighters neutralised an unknown chemical after a drum was found leaking at a disused building at the corner of Studley Rd and Bell St in Heidelberg on December 29. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and splash suits placed the unknown chemical in recovery drums which the building owner has been tasked with disposing of.
DELAHEY
Fireworks are believed to have sparked a grass fire in Delahey January 29. About 24 firefighters were called to a paddock on Sydenham Road just before 10pm to find a large paddock alight with the fire spreading towards homes. MFB crews brought the fire under control in 20 minutes with no injuries or damage to neighbouring properties.
KEILOR PARK
A Keilor Park household was forced to evacuate after a bedroom caught fire in Eliza St on December 23. Firefighters arrived about 6.15pm to find thick smoke coming from the house. Crews entered through the front of the house and quickly prevented the fire from spreading. It was declared under control in 12 minutes. One person suffered an arm injury and was treated by paramedics. The cause of the blaze was electrical.
BROADMEADOWS
Firefighters and hazmat specialists in splash suits contained a chlorine leak at Broadmeadows Aquatic Centre on December 22. Crews arrived at the Tanderrum Way leisure centre minutes after the alarm was raised at 1:31pm. Twenty people were evacuated from the facility. Firefighters remained on scene for three hours to ensure the area was safe.
BRUNSWICK EAST
A suspicious blaze caused significant damage to a factory in Brunswick East on December 21. More than 25 firefighters arrived about 5.30am to find a significant amount of smoke at the single storey facility on Kirkdale St. The building was difficult to access and crews used cutting equipment to enter the building. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus launched an aggressive attack and were able to contain the fire to the rear of the property. The blaze was declared under control at 6:09am. The scene was handed to police after firefighters concluded there were suspicious circumstances.
LALOR
A vacant house in Lalor was damaged after a fire broke out on December 20. MFB firefighters were called to the Mount View Rd property about 9:15pm after a pile of rubbish caught fire and spread to the house. The fire spread to the roof but crews were able to stop it damaging the rest of the property. About 20 firefighters brought the fire under control in less than an hour. The fire was deemed suspicious.