A man has been arrested following a Melbourne crime spree that allegedly began about 7pm on Christmas Day and ended with burglaries of two restaurants about 6:30am on Boxing Day.
Melton Crime Investigation Unit detectives arrested a 49-year-old man at a licensed venue in St Albans, north-west of Melbourne, about 1pm yesterday after he allegedly stole a motor vehicle and carried out a series of burglaries, stealing cash and electrical items.
Investigators will allege the Altona Meadows man began by breaking into a design studio on Stawell Street in Richmond about 7pm on Christmas Day, before stealing a vehicle from a furniture business on Church Street approximately half an hour later.
It is alleged he then travelled to the city’s north-west early on Boxing Day, breaking into a restaurant in Deer Park about 5:45am, then an indoor furniture business on the Western Highway in Ravenhall and finally, two restaurants on Westwood Drive in the same suburb.
Police yesterday recovered the stolen vehicle in the car park, which allegedly contained stolen items.
The man has been charged with multiple counts of burglary, attempted burglary, theft, criminal damage and committing an indictable offence whilst on bail.
He has also been charged with unlicensed driving, going equipped to steal and dealing with proceeds of crime, and is scheduled to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.