A Melbourne man who told police he was "angry at the world" has caused $20,000 worth of damage to property and cars.
Police arrested a homeless 36-year-old man for throwing rocks at a number of cars and damaging shop windows in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Croydon just before 6am (AEST).
Police said large chunks of railway ballast was thrown at a passing Toyota four-wheel drive and a $200,000 BMW, causing damage to both vehicles.
The side panels of a car, in which a woman was sitting in outside shops, also were kicked in, they said.
Senior Constable Adam Kenyon told reporters a passenger in the four-wheel drive chased the alleged offender and took him to the local police station.
"He's (the offender) been angry at the world basically and decided to take his frustrations out on the car of a 30-year-old woman who was waiting to do her shopping," Snr Const Kenyon said.
The man had been living on the streets and "doing it tough", he said.
"The behaviour this morning was stupid. Throwing rocks at moving vehicles can cause serious injury, especially with the size of the rock - it's railway ballast (that) can cause serious injury.
"I'm incredibly surprised the ballast didn't go through any windows of any vehicles."
Snr Const Kenyon said the BMW had the most damage, but the combined value of the damage to the vehicles and the four shop windows was about $20,000.
He praised the actions of the man who chased the alleged offender.
"It's incredibly brave given the day and age we live in, when you can't tell what someone's going to do when confronted.
The BMW owner, 38-year-old Paul Grant from Lillydale, was heading to work at a local bakery when his car was attacked.
"I was more shocked than anything at the time; I didn't expect that at five to six in the morning. I was just surprised, shocked, that was it," Mr Grant told reporters.
The man has been remanded in custody to appear at Ringwood Magistrates Court on Monday.
The arrest come after three youths from the south-eastern suburb of Narre Warren were arrested for throwing rocks from an overpass on the Princes Freeway last month.
In NSW, 22-year-old Nicole Miller suffered a fractured skull and brain damage when a 1kg rock was thrown from an overpass in Wollongong last year.
The incident prompted the NSW government to introduce legislation that will set a maximum five-year jail term for people who throw rocks on to NSW roads or waterways.
