One man and five children have been charged following an alleged aggravated burglary and theft of two vehicles in Melbourne's northwest over the long weekend.
Local police and police dedicated to Operation Trinity were called to a property on Finlayson Street in Rosanna about 4am on Sunday, 26 January.
It is alleged a group entered the home before stealing keys to a silver Mercedes sedan.
One person was home at the time and not injured.
The same offenders allegedly stole a Toyota wagon from a property on Tourello Avenue in Hawthorn East about 6pm.
That stolen wagon was later located dumped in Robinson Road in Hawthorn, where with the assistance of the Air Wing, officers spotted the stolen silver Mercedes about 8pm.
The offenders then dumped the Mercedes on Illawarra Road in Hawthorn and allegedly fled the scene.
Six people were arrested nearby at a property on Kooyongkoot Road.
A 16-year-old boy from the Latrobe Valley area has been charged with aggravated home invasion, theft, theft of motor vehicle, possess a drug of dependence and aggravated burglary.
He was remanded in custody.
A 14-year-old boy from the Latrobe Valley area has been charged with theft of motor vehicle, robbery, shopsteal and attempted aggravated home invasion.
A 17-year-old girl from the West Gippsland region was charged with theft of motor vehicle.
A 15-year-old boy from the Mornington Peninsula area was charged with theft of motor vehicle, theft from motor vehicle, handle stolen goods and possess a prohibited weapon.
A 16-year-old boy from the Mornington Peninsula area was charged with theft of motor vehicle.
They were bailed to a children's court at a later date.
A 19-year-old Healesville man was charged with theft of motor vehicle.
He was bailed to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 25 March.
Victoria Police has been specifically targeting burglars and car thieves each night since March 2023.
Operation Trinity, which runs from dusk until dawn across Melbourne is easily Victoria Police's most well-resourced frontline policing operation at present.
Since March 2023, there has been 70 additional police including Dog Squad, Public Order Response and Air Wing rostered each night, on top of existing patrols.
