A service station attendant stood his ground despite having a gun pointed at him in Glen Waverley, deterring armed robbers who eventually went on a crime spree in Melbourne’s east.
The male trio, including two men with a firearm and an edged weapon, and another driving a silver SUV, targeted six petrol stations and McDonald’s restaurants in Melbourne’s east within half an hour on Thursday morning.
Eastern Crime Squad detective Acting Senior Sergeant Dale Maxwell said the trio first visited the 7-Eleven service station on Blackburn and Waverley Roads in Glen Waverley at 4.10am.
Sergeant Maxwell said the station attendant told the armed duo: “You’re not getting anything”, before they exited the store and drove off.
“The attendant was able to defend himself and didn’t hand over any cash or items to the offenders,” he said.
The trio then unsuccessfully tried to take items from 7-Eleven stores in Blackburn North and Blackburn South, before they visited two McDonald’s restaurants in Blackburn and stole cash.
They ended their spree by stealing cash and cigarettes from a Shell Coles Express service station on Canterbury Rd in Surrey Hills about 4.40am.
Sergeant Maxwell said the three men remained on the run and despite no one being injured, the situation could have been “a lot worse”.
“Some of these attendants that have been involved and other people in the stores, I daresay it’s going to affect them for a long time,” he said.
Acting Sen-Sgt Maxwell said the men had covered their faces with balaclavas and police did not have any leads on their identities.
He said officers were reviewing CCTV footage from the stores visited by the armed men.
“The amount of offences is quite surprising … certainly it indicates these guys are quite brazen and quite desperate,” Acting Sen-Sgt Maxwell said.
Any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage can phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Extracted in full form: Canterbury Rd: Alleged armed robberies in Forest Hill, Box Hill South, Blackburn South | Herald Sun
