By Tanya Steele
Staff at the Ferntree Gully IGA were the target of an alleged theft and assault by a group of teenagers last week.
The encounter left the staff ‘shaken’ after the incident and police have laid a number charges against the four minors.
Officers have been told a group of teenagers attended the supermarket on Station Street, Ferntree Gully, just before 5.30pm on 7 March.
Police said it is believed the group allegedly attempted to steal items from the business before one of the teenagers threatened a worker with a weapon.
Joel Wong was working in the IGA on Thursday 7 March when the group of teens entered the store and said his colleague working on the register called out to him when she noticed two girls ‘acting weird and looking like they were trying to pinch lollies’.
“I quickly came up to the open area and saw that a young lady was trying to reach a bottle of spirits behind the counter,” he said.
Mr Wong said his first thought was to stop her and check the person’s ID because ‘she looked young’.
As Mr Wong reached the liquor section of the store he alleged that ‘a man behind me surprised me by putting a headlock on me’.
“He grabbed me with an arm over my neck,” he said.
Mr Wong said he tried to tell the group not to touch the items behind the counter and asked them to present their ID
He alleges that he and the group of teens were then involved in ‘tug of war’ over the alcohol bottle as he grabbed it and held onto it.
Mr Wong claims one of the teens was holding a knife but dropped it after being knocked over in the struggle and that he was hit several times during the incident.
“I know they’re minor so I don’t hit back, I only used self-defence and blocked,” he said.
“I didn’t touch them, I just held onto the bottle.”
Police investigators said they believe the group fled the scene on foot, before boarding a nearby train.
Officers arrested the group a short time later in Boronia and seized a machete.
A 16 year old Beerwah girl has been charged with affray, assault in company, unlawful assault and attempted theft. She was bailed to appear at a children’s court at a later date.
A 16 year old Croydon boy and a 14 year old Wantirna girl were released pending summons and a 15 year old Hallam girl was released pending further enquiries.
Mr Wong and his colleague are shaken from their encounter and said they are much more wary of teenagers entering the store now.
“All of them have been caught and no one’s injured,” Mr Wong said.
