Brighton crime: Warleigh Grove family allegedly terrorised in home invasion

A Brighton woman has detailed the frightening moment she confronted two machete-wielding bandits in her lounge room.

Annabel Thomson and her dog Austin came across two masked intruders in her home. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Victoria police say they’ve arrested 200 youths over aggravated robberies as part of a new specialist operation, conceding the crime is causing “significant” concern in the community.

It comes as a Brighton woman yesterday detailed the frightening moment she confronted two machete-wielding bandits in her lounge room, a year after Bec Judd spoke out about crime being a problem in the suburb.

Anabel Thomson said she and her sister’s boyfriend Todd Blasse made the frightening discovery after they’d heard the pair searching through their belongings while their dog continued to bark.

“I saw this guy standing at the door inside, I saw him holding something and thought it was a bat,” she said.

“We walked into the lounge and stopped and realised what the hell was going on.

“It was a bit hectic.”

Annabel Thomson, her dog Austin, and her sister’s boyfriend Todd Blasse confronted two masked intruders. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Ms Thomson said crime in the bayside area was “horrendous” and that it was only becoming more prevalent.

“There’s definitely gangs targeting certain areas and taking advantage of what’s around them,” she said.

Victoria police said its new operation to tackle the problem across Melbourne was clamping down on young and reckless offenders.

Inspector Rob Nazaretian from the Southern Metro Region said: “Victoria Police recognises the significant issue and concern that this type of offending would pose in the community”.

“We’re also aware that the idea of young, inexperienced, often unlicensed driving, stealing these cars, driving around at night potentially at speed creates risks of itself,” he said.

“In its current phase, we’re pleased with the way the operation is unfolding thus far.

“Our sole intention is clear, we want to disrupt this offending.

“We want to be able to detect and apprehend the offenders wherever possible and hold them to account in the interests of community safety.”

At the beginning of the operation, the force was responding to around 30 aggravated burglaries across Melbourne per month, which has since dropped to 18 per month — around a 40 per cent decrease.