Southern Metro Region Crime Squad detectives have charged a teenager after an aggravated burglary in Brighton East this week.
Police have been told that two male offenders, armed with machetes, allegedly entered a residence on Warleigh Grove on Tuesday, 6 May about 7.40am.
Seven occupants were home and asleep at the time when they were awoken by their dog barking.
One occupant chased the pair out of the residence, where they got into an allegedly stolen blue Subaru Outback.
Officers believe a third unknown offender remained waiting in the vehicle at the time of the aggravated burglary.
It is believed the teen was allegedly involved in aggravated burglaries in the Malvern East and Brighton areas between 5 - 6 May, as well as an attempted carjacking in Malvern East on 7 May.
Officers believe the teen allegedly stole a white 2021 Toyota Hilux utility from Fisher Street, Malvern East about 10.30am.
It is believed the teen then drove the vehicle to Dandenong, before allegedly attempting to carjack a woman sitting in her vehicle at a red light on James Street, at 12.53pm.
Proving unsuccessful in stealing her vehicle, the teen is believed to have run back to the Toyota utility and continued driving.
With the assistance of the Air Wing, police pursued the utility to Berry Court, Doveton.
The teen was arrested at a premises on Peach Court a short time later after dumping the utility and fleeing on foot.
An 18-year-old Doveton man was charged with:
• 2 x aggravated burglary with offensive weapon
• 2 x aggravated burglary
• 2 x attempted aggravated burglary
• 5 x theft of a motor vehicle
• attempted carjacking
• unlawful assault
• dangerous driving whilst being pursued by police
• unlicensed driving
• 9 x commit indictable offence whilst on bail
• 2 x contravene conduct condition of bail
He has been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 8 June.
Meanwhile, a 17-year-old Cranbourne North teenager has been charged by Box Hill Divisional Response Unit and Eastern Region Crime Squad detectives in relation to unrelated offending.
This relates to three aggravated burglaries in Kew and Glen Iris between 5-7 May.
He has been charged with:
• aggravated burglary
• 2 x theft of a motor vehicle
• theft
• unlicensed driving
• commit indictable offence whilst on bail
• fail to comply with court order
• aggravated home invasion
He was remanded to appear at a children's court at a later date.
These recent arrests are the result of a dedicated city-wide operation in place targeting aggravated burglaries and associated car thefts, which increased markedly post the pandemic.
This has been driven by predominantly youth offenders targeting unlocked homes, with the intention of stealing car keys.
Local police from Southern Metro, North West Metro and inner eastern Melbourne are teaming up as part of the ongoing metropolitan wide operation.
Specialist police units, including Air Wing, Dog Squad, and Public Order Response Team, also assist on a nightly basis in tracking the movements of offenders.
Over the past 11 weeks this bolstered nightly police response has led to 693 arrests including 190 in relation to burglaries and car thefts while the remainder relate to drug and other miscellaneous offending.
