Police have charged three teenagers over a string of alleged violent crimes, including attempted kidnapping, with investigators exploring links to a recent series of arson attacks on Melbourne hospitality venues.<\/p>\n
The three 17-year-olds are alleged to have targeted the promoters of a weekly Saturday night event at a licensed venue in South Melbourne in what they described as brazen attacks over six days of violence.<\/p>\n
The trio are accused of an attempted kidnapping at a Templestowe home on April 9, before returning the next night when they allegedly carried out an aggravated home invasion.<\/p>\n
Police then say the three teens tried to commit an aggravated carjacking in Wollert on April 12, before attempting two separate aggravated home invasions the next day at the same address.<\/p>\n
The following day, April 14, the three boys are accused of conducting an aggravated home invasion and kidnapping at a Malvern address.<\/p>\n
Police believe the Malvern attack was targeted, but occurred at the wrong address.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The trio have also been charged separately with a litany of other offences, including committing an indictable offence while on bail, possession of a controlled weapon, possession of methylamphetamine, and motor vehicle theft.<\/p>\n
Police investigating spate of firebombings at Melbourne venues<\/a><\/p>\n A specialist police operation is investigating whether recent arson attacks across Melbourne’s hospitality venues are linked.<\/p>\n Police executed search warrants at three properties in Melbourne’s north-west on Wednesday morning, taking the three into custody and charging them.<\/p>\n The three boys will face a children’s court at a later date.<\/p>\n Investigators are now working with the Operation Eclipse taskforce to determine whether the alleged incidents are linked to a wider series of attacks on Melbourne hospitality venues in recent weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Restaurateurs, publicans and hospitality operators across the city have awoken during April to discover their businesses damaged by suspicious fires.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since April 14, Victoria Police has identified 15 separate arson or attempted arsons it believed were linked.<\/p>\n The targets included nightlife venues in the CBD, South Yarra and Prahran, as well as restaurants in Southbank and a Keysborough factory where alcohol was stored.<\/p>\n