Hunt for vicious attackers

By Lia Bichel
THREE months after five people were tied up, assaulted and robbed in two “horrendous” crimes in Cannons Creek and Tooradin, police are still searching for answers.
Police said at about 9.30pm on 8 April, a 60-year-old man went to investigate a power outage at his Craigs Lane property in Cannons Creek when he was confronted by a balaclava-clad man.
Police said the victim was assaulted with a weapon and tied up before the intruder stole a safe from inside the house.
Detective Sergeant Gordon Hynd said the raider had cut the power to the property.
The attacker fled the scene in a dark sedan which was waiting outside, driven by another man.
Another incident happened less than a week later in Tooradin.
Police said at about 11.30pm on 14 April, three men wearing balaclavas entered a house in Harewood Street where four occupants were sleeping.
The men woke all victims up, tied them up with cable ties in the lounge room and assaulted them.
The intruders stole electrical goods including a plasma television before fleeing in a white van which had been backed into the driveway.
“These are fairly horrendous events,” Det Sgt Hynd said. “For people to be woken up by men in balaclavas, threatened, bashed and tied up would be very traumatic.”
Det Sgt Hynd said he believed the two incidents were related.
“There were some similarities between the two incidents,” he said. “The description of the one offender matches the description of one of the offenders to the second event.”
The attacker involved in the Cannons Creek crime was described as being aged 30, having a solid build, being about 180 cm tall with brown neatly cut short hair and was wearing a dark vinyl jacket and dark trousers. The first male raider in the Tooradin attack was described as being aged 30, with a solid build, wearing a black balaclava, top and trousers.
The second offender is described as being aged in his early twenties, 185 cm tall, of skinny build with light brown eyes. He was wearing a black balaclava, top and pants.
The third offender was described as being aged in his early twenties, 180 cm tall, of skinny build and also wearing a black balaclava, top and pants.
Det Sgt Hynd said people should take proper precautions to prevent such horrific events occurring at their property.
“Obviously the offenders in both incidents went to the properties for certain reasons, either rightly or wrongly, thinking there were things of value stored there,” Det Sgt Hynd said. “People should remove anything that would attract offenders.
“Don’t have items of value and large amounts of money at your house and if you do, keep it to yourself – don’t tell others.”
Anyone with information about these incidents are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Narre Warren CIU on 9705 3120 or visit website www.crimestoppers.com.au.