Teenager attacked by six men armed with machetes at Werribee Plaza shopping centre, southwest Melbourne
The incident targeting the 14-year-old occurred at Werribee Plaza on Heaths Rd in Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne's southwest, about 4.40pm on Saturday.
The boy was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said the six offenders fled the scene in a black Hyundai i30 sedan and remain at large as of Sunday afternoon.
The investigation is ongoing.
Local residents said they are 'utterly fed up' with the violence and what they see as weak government action on machetes.
'They say, 'Oh, we've made a law that they're not allowed to buy machetes.' Big deal — they don't have to buy them, they've got them already,' one resident told 7NEWS.
While it is currently illegal to sell machetes in Victoria, the ban on possessing them will not come into effect until September 1.
Just two days before the alleged attack, a brawl broke out in the same shopping centre.
In that incident, two people were hospitalised after a knife fight inside JD Sports on Thursday night.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
4 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Desperate search under way after one-year-old girl vanishes in NSW Central West
A frantic search is under way for a baby missing in the NSW Central West. One-year-old Hariet Kamlade was last seen on Ridell St in Molong, about 35km northwest of Orange, just before 5pm on Tuesday. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Search for missing baby in New South Wales. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Police hold serious concerns for her welfare due to her age and a health condition that requires regular medication. It's believed Hariet was with a man and a woman — both relatives — who may have travelled to the Dubbo area. Hariet is described as Caucasian, about 70cm tall, of thin build, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink top, blue/grey pants and white shoes. The man is described as being in his 60s, Caucasian, about 175cm tall, with a medium build, short grey hair and brown eyes. The woman is described as being in her 30s, Caucasian, about 170cm tall, of thin build, with black hair and brown eyes. Police have urged anyone who sees Hariet or knows her whereabouts to contact them immediately.
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Man accused of killing couple in Mount Waverley home allegedly spotted at nearby McDonald's with pet dogs
WARNING: Graphic content Diners have described the moment they saw a man allegedly involved in a horrific alleged double murder arrive at a nearby McDonald's for a late-night dinner. The bodies of 39-year-old pregnant woman Athena Georgopoulos and 50-year-old Andrew Gunn were found inside a home on Adrienne Crescent in Melbourne's Mount Waverley about 9.55pm on Monday. 7NEWS understands Gunn was decapitated, with his head found on a stick. A 34-year-old homeless man, Ross Judd, was arrested at Westall train station, in Melbourne's south east, about 1.40am on Tuesday. Some diners reported allegedly seeing a man matching his description at the McDonald's on Dandenong Rd in Clayton shortly after 11pm the same night — about a 40-minute walk from where the alleged double murder took place. One diner, who asked to be identified only as 'L', told she saw the man arrive with his two pet German shepherds. L was waiting for her food when she saw the barefoot man wearing a black cotton jacket walk into the packed fast-food outlet about 11.10pm. L said the man used napkins to from the McDonald's pick-up counter to clean himself up. 'After wiping, he dropped the tissues on the floor,' L said. L later saw two well-behaved dogs left at the front door. Feeling uneasy, she took a photo of the dogs before choosing to leave through a side door. L said the man stood at the pick-up counter for 'quite a while' before leaving. As L and her partner were about to drive away, they saw the man leaving the restaurant about 11.25pm. L's photo of the dogs sparked a flood of comments on social media, with many recognising them by the distinctive scarves they wore. Many shared photos they had taken when encountering the man and his dogs, with some saying they had even spoken to him. Most alleged sightings were reported in Clayton, on trains and along the main street. 'He is homeless and lives right downstairs from my apartment. I've known him for five months,' one commenter said. 'I used to chat with him often. Those two dogs are named Okey and Gaiya — both are very well-behaved and obedient.' Neighbour's account A neighbour of the slain couple has gone public on social media to share her experience. She said she heard loud arguing and shouting from next door about 8.50pm on Monday, along with continuous barking from dogs. The woman explained her neighbours often quarrelled, so she didn't think much of it initially. However, her housemate rushed outside to see if he could help. When he stepped out, he saw a man running towards Ferntree Gully Rd and tried knocking on the neighbours' door to check on them. That's when he discovered the bodies and the graffiti, and immediately called the police. 'At first, he thought it was a stop sign, but when he shone his flashlight on it, he realised it was a human head,' the neighbour said, describing her housemate's reaction upon seeing the head on a stick. 'When I heard my housemate's description upon his return, my legs turned to jelly. It was hard to believe that such a terrifying thing had happened just six metres from me,' she said, attaching a photo of her room right next to an SES tent set up for the crime scene. Both housemates were interviewed by police until about 2.30am on Tuesday. Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said police were probing the alleged motive. 'We believe that there is a link between our suspect and the address but we're just working together at this point to make sense of what that means and what it all looks like,' he said. It is unclear how the man and woman were allegedly killed but it is believed a weapon was used. Georgopoulos was five months pregnant and had been with Gunn for about three years. Judd appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday after being charged with two counts of murder. He is due to return to court on January 13.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Elderly driver mounts footpath, ploughs into CBD store pinning shopper
An elderly driver has ploughed a car through an Asian grocery store in Melbourne's CBD, striking a pedestrian and pinning a shopper inside. The 87-year-old man, from Ivanhoe in the city's north-east, was behind the wheel of a teal Mercedes-Benz sedan when it mounted the footpath on Elizabeth Street about 2.30pm Wednesday. The car struck a pedestrian, a 19-year-old man from Parkville, before smashing through the glass facade of KT Mart and hitting another 56-year-old man inside. The vehicle pinned the shopper, who was left with a bloodied leg, 7News reported. Police said the building sustained major structural damage, while both people struck by the car were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 'The driver of the vehicle is expected to undergo a [licence] review,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. 'The investigation remains ongoing.' The driver, who was the only person in the car, was uninjured. A large police presence was reported in the CBD after the crash. The outer carriageway of Elizabeth Street was closed to traffic between Queensberry Street and Victoria Street.
