Police are looking for a gang of up to 10 African males who hunted down and stabbed a 17-year-old boy in front of a horrified family in Melbourne’s north-west.
Chilling CCTV footage released by Victoria Police on Thursday shows a white Ford sedan slow down as the victim walked along Riverbend Drive in Darley at about 5.50am on December 9.
Several hooded and masked males with machetes then jump out of the car before it even comes to a stop and chase after the teenager, who runs for his life. The white sedan does a U-turn and follows.
Police said the victim was cornered in the backyard of a nearby property on Hartog Grove where he was stabbed and bashed as a young family watched on in horror, only for a second car to pull up.
Occupants of that vehicle, a silver Subaru Liberty, then joined in the stabbing and assault, police said, and mobile phone footage of the attack was later posted on social media.
The seriously injured teenager was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
Acting Inspector Brett Van Der Vliet said the offenders are “perceived to be of African appearance” and are believed to be known to the victim.
“We don’t have many gang issues here in Bacchus Marsh, per se, and these offenders could be from neighbouring suburbs,” he said, adding that the family who witnessed the stabbing were “very anxious” and “very concerned about the neighbourhood they live in now”.
A local resident who heard the early morning commotion said the screams “freaked her out”, and that since the incident she had been locking all the doors to her home and sleeping with the light on.
Investigators released CCTV of possible vehicles involved, and the Subaru was later found dumped in Melton.
Header image: CCTV of individuals police believe may be able to assist with the investigation (Victoria Police)
