Hillside home invasion: stolen car found burnt out in Melton
UPDATE: TWO men have been charged after a woman was beaten and tied up in her own home.
Law & Order
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UPDATE: TWO men have been charged after a woman was beaten and tied up in her own home.
Police arrested a 26-year-old and 18-year-old, both from Melton, charging them with home invasion, aggravated burglary, armed robbery and intentionally causing serious injury.
The family of the woman, Marisa Bonacci, 55, who remained sedated in hospital recovering from the vicious attack, say she did not deserve the brutality and should have been safe alone in her own home.
Disoriented and bleeding after being assaulted and threatened with a knife, Ms Bonacci was tied up with a telephone cord and left in a garage for more than an hour before the criminal pair stole her phone and fled in her car.
Her daughter, Sarah, said the family were in shock and would never have thought this could happen in their home. “This is my mum ... she didn’t deserve this, she wouldn’t do bad to anyone,” Sarah said. “It seems unreal.”
Ms Bonacci had been alone in her Speargrass Drive home about 11am on Tuesday when the burglars snuck in.
Startled by a noise while she worked in her study, she went to investigate and found two men — one armed with a knife — rummaging through drawers.
Sarah said her mum had immediately co-operated when the criminals — who appeared drug-affected — demanded she hand over her purse, mobile phone and phone password.
“She co-operated ... there’s no need to bash someone, she was not a threat,” Sarah said.
While Ms Bonacci was bound in the garage, the thieves stole her car keys and drove off in her VW Passat.
The car was found on fire in a backstreet of Melton the next day.
More than an hour after she was tied up, Ms Bonacci freed herself and sought help from builders who were working on a neighbouring property.
“She was in a pretty bad way,” one of the builders told the Herald Sun.
“Her face was all swollen, her nose was broken.”
He said the incident had left him “shaken” and struggling to sleep.
“If a woman’s not safe in her own home, minding her own business, what kind of world are we living in?” the builder asked.
Brimbank police Acting Insp Cameron Reinke assured the public it was “unusual” for burglars to confront occupants.
Police would step up patrols in the area, Insp Reinke said.
“She’s in hospital sedated because of her injuries, but those are non-life threatening and we haven’t had an opportunity to speak to her at this point in time,” he said.
“She has facial injuries and bruising around the body.”
He also said additional police resources had been assigned to the case.
“I like to think that we’ll catch them before there’s reoffending occurring,” he said.
“We’re extremely worried by the brutality shown during this offence.”
Residents recalled other bizarre incidents in recent weeks including strangers knocking on back doors in the middle of the night.
“It’s horrible,” one woman said. Another resident, Pat Jayasingha, said: “It’s too close to home.”
“It’s very scary,” she said. “I thought maybe it was a robbery, but when I saw the tape come across I knew it was something more.”
The two men have been remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.