Seaside shock
TWO serious incidents shook Inverloch in the past week.
A Wonthaggi man was arrested on Saturday after he climbed onto the roof of the Inverloch Community Hub and threatened suicide.
The man in his twenties was wanted by police before Saturday for numerous offences, including evading police.
At 11.50am on August 16, he was intercepted in Wonthaggi North by the Bass Coast Highway Patrol.
He had two female passengers accompanying him. When questioned about irregularities on his licence, he rolled up the window and sped off.
A police member was nearly hit by the car as the man drove away, and police did not pursue him.
On Saturday at 11.30am, police intercepted a car in Inverloch, in which the man was a passenger.
The man gave a false name and took off, and police pursued him on foot.
The man climbed onto the roof of the Inverloch Community Hub and police spoke to him for three hours before he came down.
The scene was attended by police from Inverloch and Wonthaggi, as well as the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) from Melbourne.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Syd Hadley from the Bass Coast CIU managed to encourage the man to come down.
He was arrested on charges of breaching the peace and interviewed. He was remanded in custody until yesterday (Monday), when he faced the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court accompanied by Detective Hadley.
A second incident occurred at 6.30pm on Thursday.
An Inverloch man in his thirties went to the Inverloch petrol station, wearing a hoodie and sunglasses.
He walked behind the counter and pulled out a syringe, threatening to stab the operator – a 22 year old woman – if she did not open the till.
She complied and opened the cash register. The offender took off with a substantial amount of cash.
He was arrested in Inverloch just after 10pm.
He was taken to Wonthaggi Police Station to be interviewed and charged with armed robbery, aggravated burglary, threats to kill and threats to inflict serious injury.
He was remanded in court and faced the Wonthaggi Magistrates Court the following day. The man was remanded to appear in the Latrobe Valley Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Monday).
The Star called Evans Petroleum in relation to the wellbeing of the operator but the company was unable to comment before going to print.
At the scene: police were called to the Inverloch Community Hub after a man climbed onto the roof following a police pursuit.
Short URL: /?p=11857
Posted by 
