7-1-2024 (MELBOURNE) A series of stabbing attacks in Melbourne, believed to be completely random, has left several people hospitalized. Victoria Police are investigating three separate incidents involving four victims across the city, with a 31-year-old Melton man now in custody, cooperating with authorities.
The first attack occurred around 10 pm outside a CBD burger store on King Street, leaving a 24-year-old with a leg injury. Subsequently, a man and a woman walking along Dandenong Road in St Kilda East were allegedly stabbed by the same suspect before 11 pm. The 31-year-old woman sustained life-threatening injuries, while her 31-year-old partner from Glen Waverley suffered a serious arm injury.
Approximately an hour and a half later, the Melton man is accused of stabbing a 31-year-old English national on Acland Street in St Kilda, causing a leg injury. Police emphasize that the victims were targeted without any prior connection, indicating that the attacks were entirely random.
Authorities are also probing a stabbing incident in Southbank earlier that night involving a 28-year-old Mount Waverley man. He was stabbed while walking along City Road, sustaining leg and torso injuries. Detectives believe this attack might be linked to the subsequent violence.
Senior Sergeant Andrew Eyries from the Victoria Police Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit stated that CCTV footage helped establish a connection between the incidents. The alleged attacker, fitting the description, was located by a Protective Services Officer on a train near South Yarra. After attempting to flee and resisting arrest, the suspect was apprehended by the Public Order Response Team.
During the arrest, police discovered a backpack containing multiple edged weapons, consistent with the victims’ injuries. Authorities are investigating whether the suspect used public transport to move between the inner-Melbourne suburbs.
While the suspect, known to police, is assisting with inquiries, Senior Sergeant Eyries noted signs of potential mental health issues or the influence of drugs and alcohol. Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives urge witnesses to come forward and provide information about the attacks.
The suspect is described as having a Caucasian appearance and was wearing a distinctive lime green windcheater with dark pants during the incidents. The motive behind the attacks remains unclear, and authorities are exploring any potential links to mental health or substance abuse.
