Melton police are on the hunt for a group of teenagers terrorising families during violent home invasions across the west.
Six males armed with hammers forced their way into a Pilgrim Drive, Hillside home, where a woman was sleeping with her eight-month-old baby, about 6am on Tuesday.
Police say the group “aggressively” demanded the woman hand over her valuables and car keys. The woman obliged and the offenders subsequently fled the scene in the victim’s white Holden HSV sedan.
The same group are allegedly responsible for about six aggravated burglaries across the western suburbs in as many days.
In an unrelated incident, two male teenagers armed with a baseball bat and knife stole a mobile phone from an 11-year-old boy at the Taylors Hill skatepark.
Police believe the offenders armed themselves and went to the skatepark with intentions to steal.
Witnesses described the offenders as “reasonably tall”, wearing dark-coloured clothing.
Sergeant Rob Henley, of the Melton Crime Investigation Unit, said while police had not been able to confirm a link between the offenders and the Apex gang, they were not ruling out the possibility.
More in next week’s Star Weekly.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at crimestoppersvic.com.au
