Melbourne home invasions: woman, 96, among victims

A 96-year-old woman is among victims targeted in a string of attacks across Melbourne last night.

Police at the scene of a home invasion in Albion. Masked thugs have threatened a woman with a knife as she slept in a bedroom with a child at Albion yesterday. Picture: David Crosling

A 96-year-old woman is among victims targeted in a string of home invasions across Melbourne last night.

At least four properties in Skye, Bayswater, Brighton and St Albans were robbed in the latest chapter of a violent crime spree gripping the city.

In St Albans, in Melbourne’s northwestern suburbs, a 96-year-old woman was terrorised by a man who broke into her home around 4am and demanded cash and valuables.

The offender is described as tall with a thin build, wearing dark clothing.

Shortly before midnight, a group of masked offenders broke into a house at Skye, in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs, and assaulted the owner.

In Bayswater in the city’s east, a couple locked themselves in a bedroom after a man forced his way into their home around 1am.

Police arrived and disturbed the man who then fled to a waiting car. Officers chased him but lost sight of his white Holden ute a short time later.

Around 3am, a 43-year-old man living in bayside Brighton was confronted by at least one thief inside his home. A large quantity of jewellery was stolen before the thief fled through the back door.

The crime spree occurred as two teenagers were arrested in relation to an aggravated home invasion at Taylor’s Hill on Sunday night.

Two men were bashed after a group of youths broke into their family home armed with crowbars and baseball bats, stealing a car which was later suspected to be used in an armed robbery at a nearby McDonald’s.

A 17-year-old Taylors Hill boy and a 15-year-old Hallam boy attended Melbourne North Police Station about 4am this morning.

A spokeswoman said police were still seeking a number of other offenders in relation to the Sunday night crime spree and the investigation was ongoing.