‘Awful’: Radio star’s home targeted in home invasion while daughter was home

A radio personality’s home has been targeted in a home invasion, as a group of youths allegedly broke in and confronted his daughter.

A radio star’s house has been targeted in a home invasion in which a group of youths allegedly broke in and threatened his daughter.

John Rothfield, better known as Dr Turf, was holidaying in northern NSW when three offenders allegedly invaded his Armadale home in Melbourne’s affluent inner-east, at about 3am on Tuesday.

One of Dr Turf’s daughters and her friend were home at the time.

“They broke into the house and did a bit of a ransack and pillaging and then made their way upstairs and shone a torch in their eyes and got them up,” he told radio station 3AW on Wednesday morning.

“She had to endure that awful experience on her own … she’s a tough kid.”

Rothfield had his home allegedly ransacked while he was away on holidays. Picture: Enhance Entertainment/ News Corp Australia

He said his daughter was “verbally threatened” with a knife. However, a weapon was not physically shown to her during the incident.

Rothfield claimed footage obtained from a neighbour’s house later revealed the offenders were in possession of a knife.

“They said that they were armed so she would accede to their demands and reveal the treasures which of course weren’t there,” he said.

The radio star praised his daughter for being an “incredibly brave young woman” and keeping a “cool head” during the ordeal.

“She was also pretty protective of her friend who was not quite prepared for what ensued and they [the offenders] got a bit agitated as well,” he said. “So she was trying to sort of keep them relatively level-headed despite the fact he threatened that he had a knife.”

He said the thieves spent about half an hour in the home before taking off with “some goods”.

“I think they did three houses on our street [and] we were the unfortunate ones that they actually got into,” he said.

The same three offenders are believed to have hit a string of other properties in the area, taking off with a hoard of luxury cars, the Herald Sunreports.

According to the publication, the trio are believed to have first broken into a vehicle parked on Waverley Rd in Malvern East about 9.45pm on Monday, where they attempted to steal tools inside.

They then broke into a home on Alcala Ave and allegedly stole a luxury 2018 Porsche Macan GTS around 10pm.

Hours later, the group broke into a garden shed at a home on Wattle Grove and allegedly nabbed tools about 1.35am on Tuesday.

They then allegedly stole a 2013 Mercedes Benz SLK from Paxton Street before breaking into a house on Avalon Street while three people slept.

There, they stole car keys and fled with a 2017 Volkswagen Golf and luxury Porsche Wagon.

No one was believed to be injured in the incidents.

It comes days after a young doctor was stabbed and hit by a car as he pursued a group of thieves who had broken into his east Melbourne home on Saturday.

Ash Gordon, 33, was found by police on Eildon Street less than a kilometre from his Doncaster home at 5.30am, with his partner calling for help as he chased the group who had made off with laptops and shoes.

He died at the scene.

News.com.au has contacted Victoria Police for comment.