Three teenagers from Melbourne's southeast are facing a string of serious charges following an alleged armed carjacking and a dramatic police pursuit in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Alleged Knife-Point Confrontation in Hampton Park
The incident began just before 1am on Sunday on Blackwood Drive in Hampton Park. According to Victoria Police, a 76-year-old man was confronted by three teenagers while in his red Hyundai Kona.
The trio, comprising a 13-year-old girl and two older teen boys, allegedly threatened the driver with a knife and demanded his car keys. The man's two passengers, a 51-year-old woman and a 77-year-old woman, were also present during the frightening ordeal. Fortunately, none of the three victims sustained physical injuries.
The alleged offenders then fled the scene in the stolen Hyundai.
A Cross-Suburb Police Pursuit
Police tracked the allegedly stolen vehicle to the Dandenong area, where it was later found dumped on Heatherton Road. However, the teens were not finished.
The group then allegedly got into a second car, a red Nissan Dualis, and took off once more. This sparked a police chase as the Nissan was driven through multiple suburbs along the Monash Freeway.
The pursuit finally came to an end on the Princes Highway at Pakenham, where a swarm of police officers descended on the halted vehicle.
Charges Laid, But Not Under New 'Adult Time' Laws
All three teenagers from the Casey area were arrested at the scene. The group includes the 13-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, and a 17-year-old boy.
Each has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle, handling stolen goods, theft, and fraudulently using a registration plate. The 16-year-old boy faces additional charges of dangerous driving while pursued by police and unlicensed driving.
Notably, the teens have not been charged with aggravated carjacking. This means, as reported by Sunrise, they will not fall under Victoria's new "adult time for adult crime" laws designed for violent offences.
Victoria Police have confirmed that investigations into the full circumstances of the incident are ongoing.
