Radio host John ‘Dr Turf’ Rothfield’s house allegedly raided by armed thieves

A 16-year-old boy allegedly stole cars and carried out multiple home invasions in the city’s inner east, including an aggravated burglary at John “Dr Turf” Rothfield’s house.

John ‘Dr Turf’ Rothfield’s daughters were confronted by the burglars. Picture: Enhance Entertainment

A teenager has been arrested over an aggravated burglary at the home of media personality John “Dr Turf” Rothfield.

A 16-year-old boy from Preston was arrested over the break-in at the Armadale home of home of Rothfield and at another home in Paxton Rd, Malvern East early on Tuesday morning.

Police say three vehicles were stolen in those incidents.

The boy arrested has been charged with offences including aggravated home invasion, theft of motor vehicle, attempted aggravated burglary and burglary.

Police said he would appear before a children’s court at a later date.

Rothfield (left) worked as a broadcaster on SEN and RSN 927.

The group turned up at Rothfield’s home in the early hours of Tuesday in what police suspect was an attempt to steal a car.

The Herald Sun understands Rothfield was away at the time but that one of his daughters was confronted by the youths.

It was one of a number of properties suspected of being raided by the same group of suspects.

It’s understood the three offenders broke into a vehicle parked on Waverley Rd in Malvern East about 9.45pm on Monday, attempting to steal tools stored inside.

The trio then broke into an Alcala Ave home nearby, nabbing car keys before fleeing the area in the victim’s luxury 2018 Porsche Macan GTS.

Hours later, they allegedly stole tools from a garden shed at a home on Wattle Grove, also in Malvern East, about 1.35am Tuesday.

An unsuccessful attempt to break into another home on Avalon Rd about 2.20am led them to Paxton St, where they were able to make off with another victim’s 2013 Mercedes Benz SLK.

The group then tried their luck on Avalon St a second time, breaking into a home while the three occupants were sleeping.

The offenders stole car keys and personal items before fleeing in the victim’s 2017 Volkswagen Golf and their luxury Porsche Wagon.

No one was injured in the incidents.

Rothfield, regarded as a shrewd horseracing observer, is a veteran of Melbourne’s media who started out on 3RRR’s Punter to Punter show in the 1980s.

He has worked as a broadcaster on SEN and RSN 927.

The incidents are the latest in a long catalogue of aggravated burglaries which have been an issue in the southern and eastern suburbs for years.

Police have been moved to run dedicated around-the-clock patrols in those areas for more than a year in an attempt to curb the teens’ law-breaking.

Many of the groups are travelling up the Monash Freeway from outer southeastern suburbs before heading into affluent areas in search of luxury cars to steal.

In most cases, they are sneaking into properties in the dead of night to snatch keys then steal the cars.

There is no physical confrontation in most of the cases.

But on the weekend, Doncaster doctor Ash Gordon was stabbed to death after confronting young thieves who had broken into his home.

Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage related to the alleged burglaries is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.