By ALESHA CAPONE
A NEWPORT milk bar owner has described his terror when a tomahawk-wielding teenager burst into his store and demanded cash.
Business-owner David told Star he was “very scared” when three men entered his Maddox Rd milk bar on 2 August just after 7.20pm.
Shortly afterwards, police charged two Deer Park males, aged 17 and 18, with armed robbery.
Hobsons Bay Police Inspector Bill Mathers described the incident as “very traumatic for the victims”.
David (last name withheld) said police responded quickly after a passerby saw the thieves’ vehicle number plate and called Triple-zero.
David said when the trio of masked men came into his shop he was immediately worried for the safety of his wife and two young children, who were in a back room.
“He came straight in, with a mask covering his face and used the axe to scare me,” David said.
“I told them, ‘Stop, don’t come in, and he said, ‘Give me cash, give me cash’.
“Another one went straight over and took chocolate and chips.”
“I tried to put them off from going any further.
“I said, ‘Okay, I will give you cash’. I had to do it for my family.”
David said the thieves escaped with around $200.
This is the third time the store has been robbed within the past 18 months.
“In June last year, a person with a gun wanted a packet of cigarettes.” David said.
“This job is very hard and it’s not that easy to make money.”
David said he had run the milk bar for two years, but would like to move to the other side of Melbourne, due to all the robberies.
“So far, I don’t have a choice. Maybe, in the south-east it would be safer,” he said.
“But I like the people here, my customers and neighbours are very good.”
