Two teenagers have been arrested as part of a homicide investigation into shots fired in Hampton Park in April.
Among the incidents was the fatal shooting of 30-year-old carpenter Aaron Toth in his parked car – in what police believe to be a case of mistaken identity.
A 17-year-old Doveton boy and a 15-year-old Narre Warren boy were arrested and interviewed by police on 3 September, in relation to arson incidents connected to the shootings.
At this time police do not believe the pair were directly involved in the fatal shooting.
The Doveton boy was charged with two counts of arson relating to the allegedly deliberate burning of a stolen Ford Ranger utility on 27 April in Berwick, as well as the burning of a Mazda 3 believed to be connected to the matters.
Police say the Ford Ranger was used by the offenders during the fatal shooting.
That vehicle was set alight a short time later, and police allege that several people left the scene in the Mazda 3.
The Doveton boy has also been charged by Southern Metropolitan Crime Team detectives with unrelated offences including home invasion (x2), aggravated burglary (x4), attempted aggravated burglary (x4), burglary (x2), trespass (x5) and car theft (x14).
He was set to appear at a children’s court on 3 September.
The Narre Warren boy was released pending further enquiries.
Homicide Squad detectives were recently joined by Toth’s family in appealing for information about the series of incidents in Hampton Park earlier this year.
The devastated parents of Mr Toth have lashed out against his killers, describing them as “cowards”.
The 30-year-old, who had been parked outside his friend’s home was looking forward to becoming a father with his partner, who is expecting a girl in three weeks, his parents said.
Toth’s mother, Kim Toth, said on Monday that “there’s got to be somebody out there who knows something, he didn’t deserve to die like this, nobody does”.
“It’s just not fair, we need some answers.”
Mrs Toth said that those responsible for killing her son should be “locked away forever”.
“They knew exactly what they were doing; they went there with intentions to kill somebody, why would they be there in a car with a gun?” she said.
In the first incident under investigation, a stolen black Audi Q7 SUV, a black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback and a white Toyota Camry sedan are captured on CCTV driving at a fast rate of speed along the Parkway in Hampton Park at 9.21pm on Friday, 26 April.
The black Volkswagen drives onto the grassland, at which point the sound of two gunshots can be heard before all three vehicles speed away from the area.
At 10.50pm, a stolen white Mitsubishi Outlander SUV is captured on CCTV chasing a stolen black Audi Q7 through Andrew Street, David Street and Jeffrey Street in Hampton Park.
As the vehicles travel at high speeds on Jeffrey Street, a person can be seen on CCTV leaning out of the passenger side window of the white Mitsubishi Outlander and firing a shot as it drives behind the black Audi Q7.
The sound of 14 gunshots can subsequently be heard.
At 11.36pm, the black Audi Q7 is driven into the driveway of a residential premises on Grammar Way in Hampton Park.
Two men, both wearing light coloured pants and hooded tops, exit the vehicle carrying jerry cans.
Both men empty the jerry cans onto the Audi, before setting it alight and fleeing the scene in a dark coloured sedan waiting nearby.
That vehicle has not yet been identified.
At 12.24am on Saturday, 27 April, the 30-year-old Toth was fatally shot inside his vehicle parked outside a residential address on Bride Avenue in Hampton Park.
Investigators have established he had travelled alone from Melbourne CBD and only arrived at the address a minute earlier.
Toth had no involvement in the earlier incidents in the Hampton Park area and his death is being treated as a case of mistaken identity, police say.
CCTV has captured a stolen grey Ford Ranger utility turning left from Pound Road into Bride Avenue, before travelling south on Bride Avenue.
Occupants from the vehicle discharge shots into his vehicle as they drive past, fatally wounding Aaron.
A 21-year-old Cranbourne North man was charged with murder on Saturday, 29 June and is currently remanded in custody
At 2.27am, the white Mitsubishi Outlander and the grey Ford Ranger utility drove in convoy to Sweeney Reserve, Berwick.
At 2.32 am, the grey Ford Ranger utility is set alight. At 2.34 am, the white Mitsubishi Outlander flees the scene.
Investigators are of the belief that all of these incidents are linked and that there are still people involved who have not yet been identified.
The only vehicle not yet recovered is the black Volkswagen Golf GTI hatchback, the whereabouts of which are unknown.
The investigation into the series remains ongoing.
Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au
