Mother, child carjacked at knifepoint in Melbourne crime spree By Liam Mannix
May 27, 2019 — 2.56pm
A group of knife-wielding thieves tried to carjack a man on the West Gate Bridge, before stealing a car from woman and her child at knifepoint, in a dramatic crime spree across Melbourne on Sunday night.
The violent spree started in the city's south-east on Pasadena Crescent in Bentleigh East when four men smashed their way into a home about 8.40pm.
The residents - a 39-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman - were assaulted before the offenders stole jewellery, handbags and computers, before taking a black BMW parked outside.
They raced off, heading west, before the BMW crashed into a barrier on the West Gate Bridge.
One of the houses targeted in the Sunday night crime spree.CREDIT:JAYDE COTIC/CHANNEL 10
The thieves, described by police as being of African appearance, then turned on a driver who saw the crash and slowed down to help.
One of the offenders pulled on the car door, but the motorist managed to speed off.
The thieves dumped the stolen BMW and headed to a house in Anderson Street, Port Melbourne, where a woman was putting her child into her black Hyundai i30.
The four men threatened the mother with a knife before stealing her car and speeding off.
They were next spotted in Derrimut, in Melbourne’s west, just after midnight, where they broke into yet another home, assaulting a 65-year-old man.
They dumped the Hyundai i30, stealing a 2010 grey Mercedes sedan and a black 2015 Honda HR-V.
The two stolen cars have not been spotted since, and detectives from the Southern Metro Region Crime Team are asking people to keep a close eye out for them. Police believe all the incidents are linked.
The stolen Mercedes has the registration XOB358, while the stolen Honda has the registration plates 1EY3DI.
Anyone who sees the stolen cars, or has more information, is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
There were 12,283 motor vehicle thefts across metropolitan Melbourne in 2018, the latest figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show.
The number of carjacking and attempted carjacking offences rose from 184 in 2017 to 247 in 2018.
Carjackings and home invasions have only been classed as distinct offences in Victoria since December 2016, so data does not exist on this offence before then.
