Cash attacks

By Kelly Yates
POLICE have dubbed a violent attack on an elderly man in Hampton Park as “callous”, after the 66-year-old was punched and kicked in the face by a group of men.
Michael Evans suffered a broken nose and fractures to his face as a result of the armed robbery which occurred after he withdrew money from the Commonwealth Bank ATM at the Hampton Park Shopping Centre on Thursday 7 January about 4am.
Shortly after withdrawing the money, police said a group of four young men, described as being of Islander descent and wearing dark coloured clothing and hooded tops, approached Mr Evans on the footpath outside the bank.
Detective Senior Constable Alistair Boyd from the Frankston Embona Task Force said one of the offenders demanded Mr Evans hand over his money and when he refused, the man punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
While Mr Evans was lying on the ground the group set upon him, punching and kicking him in the face.
Mr Evans has only been living in Hampton Park for three months.
According to Det Sen Const Boyd, one of the men then used a wooden stick to hit Mr Evans in the head while another removed the wallet from his pocket.
The thieves fled the scene in a white car with around $700 of Mr Evans’ savings.
Mr Evans told the News he felt terrible after the ordeal, saying he feared his attackers would return.
A 16-year-old Narre Warren South boy was the target of a similar attack over the weekend.
The boy was sitting on a bench behind Hampton Park Shopping Centre when a group of men, described as being of Islander descent and aged 17 or 18, demanded cigarettes at 2.15am on Saturday 9 January.
Police said the boy refused to hand over the cigarettes and was hit by one of the men with a bottle.
He was then stabbed in the back and stomach several times.
The victim ran away and was later found by police lying on the ground along Pound Road.
Two 16-year-old boys from Cranbourne received facial injuries after a robbery in Cranbourne West on 4 January at 11pm.
The boys were walking along Lachlan Close when they were stopped by three men, with descriptions matching the offenders at the two Hampton Park incidents.
Police said one of the men asked for a cigarette and when one of the boys said he didn’t have any, he was tackled to the ground and punched a number of times.
The other boy tried to run away but was also tackled. Cash and iPods were stolen from the youths.
Police couldn’t confirm whether the three recent incidents involved the same attackers.
Senior Constable Lee Mainnie from the Casey CIU said it was pretty shocking that kids couldn’t walk the streets without being attacked.
Anyone with information about the armed robbery involving Mr Evans is urged to call Detective Senior Constable Alistair Boyd on 9784 5540, while people with details about the other attacks are asked to call Senior Constable Lee Mainnie at the Casey CIU on 9705 3111.