By Georgia Westgarth
AN 18-year-old Pakenham man had police on his tail for three hours as he jumped fences, burgled homes and held victims hostage throughout Lyndhurst.
The series of five aggravated burglaries started at 2.30am on Friday 16 September and finished up with the canine unit tracking the teenager in Alpine Heath Way, Lyndhurst.
The one-man crime spree started at an address in Aquanita Close, Lyndhurst where the man allegedly smashed a window and entered a house.
The teen stole electrical goods and fled the home prior to police arriving.
Police, who were conducting patrols nearby, were swiftly called to the property and the chase began.
At around 3.30am the second aggravated burglary occurred at a home in Hugden Close, Lyndhurst where the Pakenham man had armed himself with a cricket bat.
He forced entry to the house, where four people were present and took hold of a female victim.
The teen then escorted her to the other victims inside the home and demanded their money and phones.
Detective Senior Sergeant, Rob Clark said the Pakenham man threatened the occupants.
“He said he would hurt the female if they didn’t comply,” Sgt Clark said.
Luckily police arrived at the home and confronted the male in an upstairs bedroom.
It’s believed no-one was injured in the brazen armed burglary but the teen managed to escape.
“The offender kicked out a window and jumped onto the roof of the neighbour’s pergola and fled,” Sgt Clark said.
“Uniform police and the canine unit conducted an extensive search and at around 5pm another aggravated burglary was being committed by the same offender on Castawellan Street also in Lyndhurst.”
Police put in a cordon – with no luck – at around 5.30pm near Castawellan Street, but the lone teen was committing another aggravated burglary at that time in Viewline Way, Lyndhurst.
At this point police units and the dog squad were conducting a systematic search for the perpetrator.
And “a dog flushed him out,” Sgt Clark said.
After the dog squad successfully tracked and arrested the male off Alpine Heath Way in Lyndhurst, he was questioned at the Narre Warren Police Station.
The 18-year-old was charged with multiple counts of aggravated burglary, assault and false imprisonment.
Police recovered laptops and phones from his crime spree.
Sgt Clark said police were investigating another aggravated burglary committed during the spree in the same area, which the Pakenham man was believed to be responsible for.
The 18-year-old will face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday 19 September.
