Whittlesea kidnapping: Man charged after allegedly trying to drag a woman into a car in northeast Melbourne
A man is charged with attempted kidnapping and is due to front court after he allegedly tried to drag a woman into his car in Melbourne’s northeast.
Victoria Police allege the 39-year-old Mill Park man approached a woman walking along Forest Street in Whittlesea, about 40km northeast of Melbourne, before attempting to drag her into a grey Mitsubishi Triton ute at about 6.20pm on Friday, October 25.
CCTV footage obtained by 9News captures the alleged kidnapping attempt.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The man can be seen standing beside his ute, parked in a wide driveway, before approaching a woman and grabbing her by the arms.
The woman, identified as a 27-year-old Moonee Ponds local, can be seen fighting off the man. The footage then cuts to the dark grey ute reversing out of the driveway — as the woman appears to capture images of the car — and quickly driving away.
Victoria Police said the woman escaped the incident uninjured.
Neighbours told 9News they heard the woman’s screams at the time of the alleged attack and described the incident as “pretty concerning”.
Police allege the same man approached two teenage girls riding scooters on Oak Bank Boulevard just 20 minutes earlier.
The girls, 15-year-old Ally Hawking and her younger cousin Zoe told 9News they were playing with their scooters when a man approached and asked for directions to Kinglake.
Ally said the man told the girls to “come look in the back of the car at the maps” and opened the back door of the ute.
“I was very scared and I felt very nauseous after it,” she said.
Ally’s mum, Amy, said the family was “beside ourselves” after the “sickening” incident, which has put the Whittlesea community on high alert.
Victoria Police said they pulled over a Mitsubishi ute along the Midland Highway at Shepparton at about 9am on Saturday.
A 39-year-old Mill Park man was charged with aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated assault and attempted kidnap.
He is due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
