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Police are currently questioning two teenagers, aged 13 and 15, in connection with a disturbing event that was recorded on CCTV last Wednesday.
The surveillance video depicts a man and a woman strolling along Blacksmiths Way in Belgrave around 7:10 pm when they were confronted by a group of young males.
During the encounter, one of the youths brandished a machete and swung it at the man.
Sabrina, an employee at the nearby Tacos ‘N’ Tequilas, recounted the incident, describing it as a swift and unexpected occurrence.
“At first, I thought he was hit with a stick,” she mentioned in a conversation with 3AW Melbourne.
“I went out to ask him if he was OK, and I saw he had a massive gouge on his forearm.”
Police alleged the group fled the scene in a white BMW sedan, which was used to steal petrol from a service station on the Western Freeway in Ballan earlier that day.
The man, a 27-year-old from Ferntree Gully, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The two teenagers remain in custody as detectives work to identify a third offender.
Casey MP Aaron Violi said it was “heartbreaking” that the two innocent victims had been targeted in the attack.
“The worst feeling, to be honest, is that it wasn’t surprising,” he told 3AW.
“We have seen these attacks so often. We’ve seen how brazen they are. I wish I was shocked by the attack. I was heartbroken within my community, but we’re seeing it too often.
“It is heartbreaking to see our state going through this, and it’s every Victorian that’s paying the price, higher insurance costs, not feeling safe.”