Authorities are questioning two teenagers, aged 13 and 15, in connection with a disturbing event caught on CCTV footage this past Wednesday.
The video reveals a man and woman strolling down Blacksmiths Way in Belgrave around 7:10 p.m. when they were confronted by a group of young males.
During the encounter, one individual from the group attacked the man with a machete.
Sabrina, an employee at the nearby establishment Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas, recounted the rapid sequence of events.
“At first glance, I mistook the weapon for a stick,” she shared with 3AW Melbourne.
“I approached him to check if he was alright, only to discover a severe cut on his forearm,” she added.
Police alleged the group fled the scene in a white BMW sedan, which was used to steal petrol from a service station on the Western Freeway in Ballan earlier that day.
The man, a 27-year-old from Ferntree Gully, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The two teenagers remain in custody as detectives work to identify a third offender.
Casey MP Aaron Violi said it was “heartbreaking” that the two innocent victims had been targeted in the attack.
“The worst feeling, to be honest, is that it wasn’t surprising,” he told 3AW.
“We have seen these attacks so often. We’ve seen how brazen they are. I wish I was shocked by the attack. I was heartbroken within my community, but we’re seeing it too often.
“It is heartbreaking to see our state going through this, and it’s every Victorian that’s paying the price, higher insurance costs, not feeling safe.”
