- Published:
- Thursday, 4 September 2025 at 11:37 am
Six males aged between 17 and 21 have been arrested following an overnight aggravated home invasion in Rosebud and pursuit through multiple suburbs.
It is alleged the group of male offenders forced entry into a property on Bilbul Avenue in Rosebud about 2.50am.
The two occupants, a man, and a woman, barricaded themselves in a bedroom before the youths, allegedly armed with two firearms and a knife, opened the door, threatened them, and demanded valuables.
The man and woman, who were forced to hand over around $1,000 in cash, both sustained minor injuries during the incident.
The offenders fled in a white Mercedes SUV, which was spotted by police a short time later travelling at about 150 km/h on the Peninsula Link near Moorooduc.
Officers attempted to intercept the vehicle, but it allegedly sped off. Details of the stolen vehicle were shared with all police units on the road, with officers urged to keep a look out for the offenders.
At around 5am, the same Mercedes allegedly arrived at Ballantyne Street in Thornbury.
It is alleged the group of male youths got out of the car and forced entry into the property.
No one was inside at the time of the incident, and it is unclear if anything was stolen.
Operation Trinity units, the Air Wing and uniform officers followed the car through multiple suburbs, including Prahran and Hawthorn, then onto the Monash Freeway.
Four offenders left the Mercedes on the Princes Freeway in Berwick and got into a waiting Mazda.
As the Mazda has tried to drive off, it has collided with a trailer on a civilian vehicle.
Six alleged offenders across both vehicles were arrested by Operation Trinity units at the scene, including:
• 17-year-old – Casey
• 19-year-old – Casey
• 19-year-old - Casey
• 20-year-old – Kingston
• 21-year-old – Greater Dandenong
• 21-year-old - Cardinia
They remain in custody and will be interviewed later today.
Police allegedly located firearm components and ammunition in the possession of one of the males arrested.
Officers searched the vehicles and allegedly located four machetes and a sword in the Mazda.
Operation Trinity sees Victoria Police target burglars and car thieves from dusk to dawn across Melbourne each night.
Trinity involves frontline officers, and members of the Dog Squad, Public Order Response and Air Wing, who are specifically tasked with preventing and responding to burglaries and car thefts each night.
As a result of this intense focus, police arrested 661 burglars and car thieves 1,700 times in the twelve months to the end of July 2025. That equates to almost five burglars and car thieves arrested every single day.
Operation Trinity is Victoria Police’s most well-resourced operation, with over 140,000 policing hours dedicated solely to this operation last year and this focus has continued in 2025.
Quotes attributed to Acting Commander Southern Metro Region Adrian Healy
“Last night was the ultimate example of how Operation Trinity units work hand in hand across our city each night.
“From the moment we became aware of the home invasion in Rosebud, Trinity units and other police on the road were sharing intelligence to arrest those responsible and prevent further community harm.
“Police are well aware that the impact caused by an intruder entering your home lasts long after they leave.
“That’s why we are out in force every night to try and prevent as many of these incidents as possible and when that’s not possible, enduring the offenders are in custody by the time the sun rises.
“There is an extreme risk caused by young offenders driving stolen vehicles at high speeds on our roads and we are thankful no one was seriously injured last night.”
Operation Trinity data – 12 months to end of July 2025
661 offenders arrested a combined 1,701 times in connection to aggravated burglaries where a car(s) was stolen. This includes arrests made on night shift, as well as follow up investigations.
Arrests made in relation to 1,861 burglaries where cars were stolen.
66.4% of these arrests were related to child offenders aged between 10 – 17.
86.2% of these arrests were offenders aged under 25.
Kathryn Muffett
Media Unit
141291
Updated