Five teens have each been charged with eight counts of armed robbery after a terrifying night of crime across Melbourne’s east and south-east.
Investigators will allege the males, aged between 15 and 19, were involved in a spate of armed robberies targeting shops and service stations stocking cigarettes between 8pm yesterday and 1am today.
Investigators will allege the teens, who wore all black and were at times armed with hammers and knives, used a stolen black Subaru Outback wagon to travel across the east side of Melbourne, as far as Braeside and Bulleen.
The wagon was allegedly first involved in an armed robbery at a milk bar on Beau Vorno Avenue in Keysborough about 8pm, where two offenders allegedly stole cigarette drawers before fleeing with three others.
About an hour later, five offenders allegedly threatened a staff member at a service station on Lower Dandenong Road in Braeside before stealing cigarettes.
Another 10 minutes later, five male offenders allegedly armed with hammers entered a service station on Warrigal Road in Cheltenham, where they stole cash and unsuccessfully tried to gain access to the cigarette cabinet.
Five minutes after that, about 9.20pm, it’s alleged one of the males, still armed with a hammer, demanded cash from a shop on Bernard Street in Cheltenham.
Police will allege the group of five fled and travelled north to Bulleen, where they forced entry to a service station on Manningham Road and stole more cigarettes about 12.30am.
About 10 minutes later, they allegedly continued their crime spree, this time forcing entry to a service station on Doncaster Road in Doncaster East.
Nothing was stolen from the store, but the group allegedly fled in a dark Subaru towards a service station on Porter Street in Templestowe, where staff were threatened with knives just before 1am.
The group allegedly stole cigarettes from the service station before again fleeing and forcing entry to a service station on Union Street in Templestowe Lower just after 1am.
They fled in the same Subaru wagon, which police had followed south from Keysborough earlier in the night, before losing sight of it in Lynbrook.
The car was again located in Templestowe Lower by police, who followed it to Cranbourne West where it came to a stop on Scarborough Drive.
After attempting to flee on foot, all five occupants were arrested nearby with assistance from the Dog Squad.
A 15-year-old from Dandenong, a 16-year-old from Tarneit, a 16-year-old from Dandenong, a 17-year-old from Werribee and a 19-year-old man from Collingwood were each charged with eight counts of armed robbery.
The teenagers will appear before a children’s court today.
The 19-year-old man will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.
The Subaru was allegedly stolen from Iona Street, Black Rock on April 7.
