A man is facing almost 50 charges following a lengthy investigation into an alleged high-risk driving incident and hit-run, as well as a series of burglaries in the south-east last year.
It will be alleged the man performed burnouts before crashing into a parked car on Hope Street, Springvale, on 31 August 2023, before fleeing on foot.
It will be further alleged the driver then made a false report to police, claiming the vehicle had been stolen at the time of the crash.
Investigators from the Dandenong Achilles Taskforce arrested a 26-year-old man on Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, about 10.30am yesterday.
In relation to the alleged incident on 31 August, he was charged with nine offences, including:
• Perjury
• Make false report to police
• Fail to give information as to driver
• Drive vehicle cause loss of traction
• Fail to exchange name and address after a collision
• Fail to report to police after a collision
• Fail to render assistance after a collision.
The man had made an earlier report of his vehicle being stolen on 11 August.
Achilles investigators then linked the vehicle and the man to a series of alleged offences across south-east Melbourne, that occurred in the early hours of 10 August 2023.
Police will allege he was driving the vehicle when it was involved in a spate of commercial burglaries and thefts at shopping centres on High Street, Cranbourne and Police Road, Mulgrave, as well as a service station on Hall Road, Carrum Downs.
The man was charged with an additional 37 offences, including:
• Make false report to police
• Destruction of evidence
• Six counts of burglary
• Five counts of criminal damage
• Eight counts of going equipped to steal
• Theft from motor vehicle
• Petrol theft
• Attempted theft of mail article (Commonwealth)
• Tampering with mail receptacle (Commonwealth)
• Damage mail receptacle (Commonwealth).
The Mulgrave man appeared in Dandenong Magistrates' Court today, where he was further remanded to reappear in the same court on 9 April.
