Disabled Melbourne man can’t go home after machete-wielding gang breaks in, his mum says
Disturbing footage has shown the moment a machete-wielding gang broke into a Melbourne disabled man’s home and ransacked it.
A young disabled man has conceded he will likely never go back to his northeast Melbourne home after it was targeted by a gang armed with machetes over the weekend.
The group, mostly dressed in black track pants, hooded jumpers and expensive trainers, hid their identities with faces masks when they turned up to the Heidelberg West property on Saturday.
Doorbell camera footage showed the thugs smash through a bedroom window before they climbed inside.
At least two of the men were allegedly armed with large knives.
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Inside they turned the house upside down, opening cupboards and wardrobes in search for expensive clothing and shoes, the family believes.
“He’s terrified. He’s shaken. He can’t sleep,” the disabled 23-year-old man’s mother told 9News.
“He keeps crying. He keeps shaking.
“This is not acceptable in our community.”
Her son was not home during Saturday’s incident.
He had decided to move out of his house a day earlier in fear for his safety, following other violent incidents at the property.
“I’m just thankful that he’s alive and he didn’t have to witness the machetes in his face or anything more horrific,” his mother continued.
“These youth need to stop doing this to innocent, vulnerable people.”
Doorbell video captured one of the offenders leaving with a cooler bag filled with items.
He then tried to break the camera after spotting it as they fled the scene.
The disabled man had been living at the property for about 18 months.
But in the past three weeks, his home has been targeted four times by thugs who smashed up the windows.
The incidents have left him too scared to go back to his house.
Weekend chaos across city
Melbourne’s crime crisis appears to show no sign of slowing.
That same Saturday morning, police arrested a 17-year-old boy and 25-year-old man following separate alleged aggravated burglaries in the space of 20 minutes.
Police first received a call about three people, armed with a machete, who broke into a Currajong Ave home in Camberwell just before 2am.
One of them demanded house keys be handed over, but they were quickly chased out by a male resident who armed himself with a knife from the kitchen.
“I mean, it’s just protecting my family,” he told 7News.
But the trio returned and allegedly smashed the front door and window of the house with a scooter left on the porch.
Moments later they allegedly tried to get into a property in Mont Albert, but they woke up a couple in the home. A man shouted through the bedroom window and scared them away.
Less than five minutes later they allegedly broke into a home in Surrey Hills and stole the keys to a Mercedes B Class and Mazda CX3.
One of the cars was allegedly located at a Narre Warren home.
Police executed a search warrant at a property and arrested a 17-year-old boy and 25-year-old man.
The latter was charged with theft of motor vehicle. He was bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on April 30.
The teenager was released without charge pending further inquiries.
Police have not made any other arrests.
In another separate incident in the city’s northeast, also on Saturday, two 17-year-old boys allegedly tried to break into three homes in less than 90 minutes in Viewbank.
They allegedly tried to get into properties on Duff Parade about 3.25am, Graham Road at 5am and Kambea Crescent some 40 minutes later.
Police told news.com.au they will allege the teens failed in their first two attempts when they were disrupted by occupants of respective homes.
A window was smashed at the third property but again, they were caught allegedly in the middle of the act and chased away by a resident.
Police were called, and with assistance from the Dog Squad, they caught the two teens on Martins Lane in Viewbank.
One boy was charged with three counts of attempted aggravated burglary and criminal damage. He was given bail to appear at a children’s court.
While the second teen was interviewed by detectives and released. He is expected to be charged on summons.
