Teens arrested over Taylors Hill home invasion
TWO teenagers have been arrested over a frightening aggravated burglary and a holdup at a fast-food restaurant in Melbourne’s northwest on Monday.
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TWO teenagers have been arrested over a frightening aggravated burglary and a holdup at a fast-food restaurant in Melbourne’s northwest on Monday.
Detectives are interviewing a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy who attended Melbourne North police station about 4am this morning.
The arrest comes after an aggravated burglary in Exhibition Parade, Taylors Hill on Monday and an armed robbery at a fast food restaurant in Keilor Road, Essendon later the same morning.
Police are still seeking a number of other offenders in relation to all incidents and the investigation is ongoing.
Two men suffered head injuries at the hands of intruders who smashed their way through a window at an Exhibition Parade, Taylors Hill, home at 1am on Monday.
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Faces covered and wearing gloves, they used baseball bats and crow bars to allegedly beat two men and terrorise five others during the surprise late-night attack.
The victims, aged 61 and 22, suffered head injuries and were taken to the Western Hospital in Footscray.
Police said their injuries were not life-threatening.
The thieves then grabbed keys which they used to steal a car parked at the house.
The vehicle was a blue 2010 Honda Civic sedan, registered XRD-495.
The same group was allegedly involved in an armed robbery at a McDonald’s restaurant in Essendon four hours later.
They entered the store at 5am and used garden stakes to smash windows and computers as shocked staff looked on.
Cash, a mobile phone and debit card were stolen before the gang drove off in a small blue vehicle.
Commander Stuart Bateson said the home invasion was “particularly nasty” and frightening.
“These young offenders feel like outlaws,” he said on radio station 3AW.
“They want to be outside of society, they’re attracted to being so called gangsters.”
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On Saturday, a 12-year-old was caught in a group, described as being of African appearance, stealing headphones from a Springvale store.
A group of teenage males walked into the JB Hi-Fi store in Princes Highway at about 5pm and took the equipment.
All left, apart from the 12-year-old, who was detained by security staff.
He was allegedly carrying stolen headphones, a power bank and scissors.
Police attended and issued the boy with a caution.
Investigators are still looking for those who were with him.
There has been high-level alarm in recent months about the rate of offending by African youths.
The issue reached its height late last year as they were involved in a series of high-profile incidents.
The included the trashing of an Airbnb home in Werribee, the wrecking of a community facility in Tarneit and an outbreak of violence at St Kilda Beach.
At one stage, state and federal leaders were involved in bitter exchanges about the issue.
Despite the events of recent days, the level of high-profile offending by African youths appeared to have eased in the past six weeks.
But some police are understood to be concerned about the imminent release of some serious offenders who were locked up over carjackings and home invasions in the past 18 months.
It was revealed last week that a taskforce of South Sudanese community leaders had been riddled with internal political divisions, restricting the progress it has been able to make.
Anyone with information on the Essendon, Taylors Hill or Springvale incidents can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit the website crimestoppersvic.com.au