By Brendan Rees
A Hampton Park man has been charged over an alleged knife hold-up on fast food workers last week.
It’s alleged two bandits in a stolen car held up two McDonald’s stores in Hampton Park and Cranbourne on Thursday 14 March.
Investigators were told the offenders described as African in appearance attended the store on South Gippsland Highway where they wielded knifes at staff about 5.15am.
They fled with cash to a waiting stolen blue 2016 Mazda 3 hatchback where a third person remained, police say.About 15 minutes later, police say they entered a McDonald’s on Thompsons Road where they allegedly again produced a knife and made demands for cash before bolting.
Detective Sergeant John Curnow of the Southern Metropolitan Region Crime Team said a 19-year-old Hampton Park man and a 16-year-old Boronia girl were arrested when police executed a warrant at a Boronia address on Tuesday 19 March.
“She will be charged with theft of motor car in relation to that same car – the Mazda,” Sgt Curnow said.
Sgt Curnow said the man was interviewed over the McDonald’s store armed robberies and was remanded to face the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 20 March.
Philip Dragon, 20, was at home asleep with his five siblings and parents when his brother’s car being the blue Mazda was allegedly stolen from Limousin Court, Berwick on Monday 11 March.
Mr Dragan’s car, a 2008 black Volkswagen Passat was also pinched at the same time from the driveway where he says skid marks were left behind.
“My dad just woke me up, told me my car was stolen. I didn’t really believe him at the start,” he said. “I actually kind of fell back to sleep because I didn’t process it.”
“Unfortunately; stupid mistake is that me and my brother left our keys in the car.
“My brother left his wallet in the car and had his credit card in there,” he said .
According to Mr Dragan, the same credit card was used the next day at a Hallam 7-Eleven store and about half-an-hour later to buy liquor at The Railway Hotel Windsor but the card declined.
Mr Dragan posted on Facebook’s Casey Crime Page about the stolen cars where he received a message from the public saying they had spotted the blue Mazda on View Road in Hampton Park on Saturday 16 March.
“They told us where it was, went there, waited for the cops to come…still alright it’s just the mirrors on both sides are smashed off,” he said.
Police recovered Mr Dragan’s car on Tuckers Road, Clyde on Sunday night, 17 March.
