By ALESHA CAPONE
A MAN who allegedly threatened an elderly couple with a syringe after being caught shoplifting in Taylors Lakes has been arrested by Brimbank police.
Officers from the Brimbank Embona Armed Robbery Taskforce last week arrested the Ardeer resident, aged 31.
Police charged the man with 21 offences in relation to the incident, including two counts of armed robbery and false imprisonment.
Detective Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall said the man was approached by store security guards after he allegedly attempted to steal power tools from a Bunnings store at the Watergardens Town Centre on 24 March at about 2.30pm.
The man allegedly produced a blood-filled syringe and threatened the shop guards, who called police.
As police arrived, the offender allegedly attempted to escape a potential arrest.
“He ran out through the car park and there was an elderly couple stopped at a red light on the road, he jumped in the back of their car, threatened them with the syringe and ordered them to drive him to Sunshine,” Det Sen Const Eppingstall said.
Det Sen Const Eppingstall said the couple, aged in their sixties, jumped out of their car at the next red light on Kings Rd – and the quick-thinking driver broke the key in the car’s ignition, preventing the man from stealing it.
“There was a car behind that vehicle and the offender jumped into the back seat of it, produced the syringe again and the two young males inside jumped out at that intersection,” Det Sen Const Eppingstall said.
“The offender then jumped into the front of the car and drove off, stealing it.”
Det Sen Const Eppingstall said other offenders who allegedly helped the offender shoplift at Watergardens were arrested at the store, including an Ardeer woman aged in her thirties.
The Brimbank Embona Armed Robbery Taskforce arrested the man last week and also located the stolen car in Ardeer.
