Aidan Becker led the 14-year-old boy away from the group and out of the station on Bridge Inn Road, but the group followed the pair onto the concourse beneath the platform and attacked Becker, punching, kicking, and attacking him with an edged weapon. He was found by paramedics with critical injuries and died at the scene. Four male teens—a 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds, and an 18-year-old—were arrested.
An 18-year-old man, Mike Pikos, a 16-year-old boy from Whittlesea, and a 17-year-old boy from Geelong were charged with murder and armed robbery, while a 17-year-old from the City of Yarra is under police guard in hospital and has not yet been charged. Pikos appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Sunday, was remanded in custody, and will reappear on June 24. The alleged offenders were known to police and none were on bail at the time of the attack, and footage revealed what appeared to be a machete or machete sheath left at the scene.
You know, carrying a weapon really can turn a moment into a lifetime of consequences. It can cost someone their life. It can cost you your future. I implore you to really think about the decisions you make. A moment of anger, a deliberate action or a bad decision can result in a tragedy that affects life forever. To all those people who are carrying weapons … enough's enough. It has to be enough. We've got to the point where it's just becoming commonplace ... and I worry that it's becoming an accepted part of our community, and it's not.
The 14-year-old schoolboy suffered a broken nose and has been discharged from hospital. Victoria Police Commander Wayne 'Cheesy' Cheeseman urged young people to stop carrying weapons, warning that a single moment of anger can destroy lives forever. Hundreds of Australians have called on Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan to resign over her delayed response to Aidan Becker's death.
Premier Jacinta Allan announced the Violence Reduction Unit has been deployed in Mernda to work with police and stop violence spreading. Health and Ambulance Services minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the government's toughened youth crime laws, which came into effect just over a week ago, could result in harsher punishments for serious crimes. Opposition police spokesperson Brad Battin said the incident highlighted Labor's failure to tackle youth crime and remove machetes from the streets.
It's just a senseless waste of life for the poor victim and his family … and then, even though you cast these thoughts against the offenders, you know, their life is ruined and their family's lives - they must be in despair as well.
In a separate incident, a 19-year-old boy was fatally stabbed on the L train in New York City's East Village on Thursday morning around 8:10 am. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he later died. A person of interest was detained, while charges remain pending.
The stabbing reportedly stemmed from a dispute between two train riders, but the reason for the argument remains unclear.
From a Victoria Police perspective, the first thing we would say is call the police straight away. But as a common, decent person … you naturally would help, but I understand the hesitance, because you don't know what the consequences are, because there's more people carrying knives, there's more people willing to use knives. So you are taking a risk by being involved, but what do you do? You can't unsee what you see, and I would like to think that I would help, and other decent p
Young people that are committing violent crimes are about to discover that they will be doing adult time.
With nearly 2,000 vacancies on police rosters, more than 40 stations closed or operating on reduced hours and PSOs to be stripped from 120 train stations, Victorians continue to pay the price for Labor's community safety failures.