Four youths from the South East have been charged after an aggravated home invasion and police pursuit across several suburbs.
A man and woman barricaded themselves in a bedroom as a group of males allegedly armed with a knife and two guns forced entry into a home in Bilbul Avenue in Rosebud about 2.50am on Thursday 4 September.
The intruders opened the door, threatened them and forced them to hand over about $1000 cash, police say.
The group fled in an allegedly stolen white Mercedes SUV, which was allegedly spotted by police a short time later travelling at about 150 km/h on the Peninsula Link near Moorooduc.
Officers attempted to intercept the vehicle, but it allegedly sped off.
About 5am, the same Mercedes stopped at a property in Ballantyne Street in Thornbury.
Police say the group of male youths got out of the car and forced entry into the property.
No one was inside at the time of the incident, and it is unclear if anything was stolen, police say.
Operation Trinity units, the Air Wing and uniform officers followed the car through multiple suburbs, including Prahran and Hawthorn, then onto the Monash Freeway.
Four males left the Mercedes on the Princes Freeway in Berwick and got into a waiting Mazda, according to police.
As the Mazda tried to drive off, it collided with a trailer on a civilian vehicle.
Six youths across both vehicles were arrested by Operation Trinity units at the scene.
Police say they found firearm components and ammunition in the possession of one of the males.
Four machetes and a sword were allegedly seized from the Mazda.
A 17-year-old boy from the Casey area was charged with aggravated home invasion, theft (x3), car theft, dealing with suspected proceeds of crime and possessing a prohibited weapon.
He was directly presented for a remand hearing and remains in custody.
A 19-year-old man from the Casey area was charged with burglary, possessing cartridge ammunition, car theft and committing an indictable offence on bail.
He was remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 7 October.
A 19-year-old man from the Casey area was charged with burglary, car theft, dealing with suspected proceeds of crime, possessing a prohibited weapon and committing an indictable offence on bail.
He was remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 23 September.
A 21-year-old Dandenong man was charged with car theft.
He was remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 23 September.
A 20-year-old Aspendale man and a 21-year-old Beaconsfield man were both released and are expected to be charged on summons.
As part of Operation Trinity, police arrested 661 burglars and car thieves 1,700 times in the twelve months to the end of July 2025.
That equates to almost five burglars and car thieves arrested every single day.
Police say 66.4 per cent of these arrests were related to child offenders aged between 10 – 17.
And 86.2 per cent of the arrested offenders were aged under 25.
