'Like a nightmare': Family wake up to African gang standing over their bed
A gang of Sudanese teenagers, armed with wooden stakes, kicked down the front door of a family's home in Melbourne's outer west, during a terrifying home invasion.
The mother and father were threatened as they cowered in their bedroom while their five-year-old daughter slept nearby.
The family told 7 News on Wednesday of their horrific ordeal, awoken by five African teenagers standing over their bed at the Melton suburb of Kurunjang.
They said the gang kicked in the front door. Armed with wooden stakes, they threatened the couple to hand over their phones, wallets and the keys to the victim's new Holden.
"When I woke up one of them was there turning the light on there was already one next to me, one was standing right here,” the young father recounted.
His partner added: "They kept banging the sticks on the bed too so they were just making a lot of noise and it was just really scary... It was just like a nightmare".
The couple's young daughter was asleep in the room next door.
As one armed teen tried to approach the bedroom, another could be heard saying " leave her alone, she's only a kid".
After the harrowing experience, the thugs took off in the victim's car. They say it was involved in a pursuit 30 kilometres away in Broadmeadows.
It crashed through this fence, and it was then police were able to arrest three teenagers, but three others ran off.
"It kind of makes you feel unsafe in your own backyard when people who are doing wrong are getting a slap on their wrist and see you later," the male victim said.
A 14-year-old and a 15-year-old from Melton were arrested by police and face many charges including assault with a weapon. They were both on bail at the time.
An 18 year old was released pending charges.
