Four teenagers arrested after knife attack left man's arm amputated

News.com.au

6 days ago

Police have arrested four teenagers after a knife attack in Melbourne's southwest, which left a man's arm needing to be amputated.
Officers were called to the Altona Meadows Central Square Shopping Centre about 8pm on Saturday.
It is alleged the victim was approached by a group of males and pushed to the ground, with one of the teens allegedly producing an edged weapon and striking the victim's forearm.
The Herald Sun reports the 33-year-old male victim had the lower part of an arm amputated at Royal Melbourne Hospital on Sunday.
He is in a serious but non-life-threatening condition.
Police allege the teenager then fled the scene with the victim's phone.
A 14-year-old boy from the Wyndham area has been charged with intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury, robbery and unlawful assault. He has been remanded to appear before a children's court.
Two 15-year-old boys from the Hobsons Bay area face the same charges and have been released on bail to appear in a children's court at a later date.
A 14-year-old boy, also from the Hobsons Bay area, is expected to be charged on summons.
Police are continuing to search for a fifth individual believed to be involved in the alleged incident.
These latest attacks come amid a spate of knife crimes at Melbourne shopping centres.
A major brawl between rival gangs at a northern suburbs shopping centre in May sparked a statewide machete ban, which has already stopped stores selling them but criminalises possessing one as of September 1.
Just last Monday, a 44-year-old man was stabbed in the chest and neck outside the Moonee Ponds Central shopping centre. Police said the alleged offender had a history of mental health issues.
Barely an hour earlier, a 37-year-old man allegedly pulled a knife at a nearby cafe.
After these two Moonee Ponds incidents, Police Minister Anthony Carbines stressed that officers were recently given more power to stop and search people for weapons without a warrant.
'We've seen a record number of edged weapons seized in the past year and that's a demonstration of the work police are doing to disrupt and dismantle crime in the community,' Mr Carbines told reporters last week.
In February, two men were stabbed outside a Bunnings in Broadmeadows, allegedly over a pair of stolen headphones.