By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
FIVE teenagers have been arrested and two of them charged after a dramatic crime spree through Casey this month which involved several violent car-jackings and a 14-year-old boy being robbed in daylight.
In one of the car jackings, thieves pulled over a 2015 Mercedes-Benz in Hallam and dragged the driver out of his car before making off in the vehicle.
Meanwhile other cars were stolen after thieves broke into residents’ homes while they were sleeping and grabbed their car keys.
The incidents began on Sunday 5 July and involved several car-jackings and thefts from homes during which a 2011 Audi Q5 was stolen from Waterways and a 2015 Mercedes Benz C200, a 2010 Audi A3, a 2015 Subaru Liberty and a Hyundai Santa Fe were also stolen.
During one incident about noon on Tuesday 7 July thieves confronted a victim in the Dandenong Plaza car park and demanded he hand over the keys to his Holden Commodore.
When the victim refused, his attackers smashed his car with a stick and ran off.
Police said that an hour later the same attackers confronted a 14-year-old boy in Dunblane Road, Noble Park, and stole his bag and mobile phone.
That night, about 8pm, the group used the stolen 2011 Audi to force a passing driver in a 2015 Mercedes Benz to pull over on Philip Road in Hallam.
They then converged on the car, dragged the victim out of the driver’s seat and fled in the vehicle.
Police found the stolen Audi a couple of days later dumped in Pepperbush Circuit, Cranbourne.
About 3am on Thursday 9 July police arrested three people at a property in Kirkham Road, Dandenong South, and another two at a property in Cranbourne.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Darron Hedge said police had been called to an increasing number of garage burglaries where doors were left open and keys were taken from inside homes and used to steal cars – with those involved believed to be associating with the same groups committing the car-jackings.
He said it was hard to believe the number of garage doors that were being left unlocked.
“Imagine if you were home and woke up to a group of offenders in your house – it would be quite horrific,” Act Sen Sgt Hedge said.
“People need to start having a look at their own security, especially at night.”
Investigations into the incidents are ongoing.
A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy were remanded, another boy and girl, both 16, were charged and bailed, and another 16-year-old boy was released on summons.
