The Melbourne Snap⚡- Tuesday 18 February
Police chief resigns, the care home robot, Pokémon crime syndicate caught and the best bagels in Melbourne.
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🚔Cops have released new CCTV footage of the incident which saw an innocent 27-year-old woman killed when the house she was housesitting in Melbourne’s west was set alight last month. - Victoria Police
➡️Investigators believe the arson attack in Truganina was linked to a tobacco dispute but the offenders mistakenly targeted the wrong address.
➡️Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
🚨Victoria will appoint a new police chief after Shane Patton resigned following a no-confidence vote from the vast majority of his workforce. Patton, who served for over 45 years, said he was stepping down to allow fresh leadership. - SBS News
➡️Premier Jacinta Allan expressed gratitude for Shane Patton's long service and leadership but admitted the overwhelming no-confidence vote made his position untenable. - Vic Gov
🌦️ Tuesday weather
Crime Watch
This section is dedicated to crime news. Scroll on if you want to skip to lighter news.
🚨Two Muslim women, including a pregnant mother, were attacked at Pacific Epping shopping centre in what police suspect was a racially motivated assault. A 27-year-old mother-of-two was slapped and shoved while grocery shopping in the city’s north, while another woman had her hijab grabbed in a separate attack. Both victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene and police are investigating. - April Glover, Eleanor Wilson, Nine News
🚓A 26-year-old man has been charged with attempted carjacking and other offences after allegedly abandoning a crashed vehicle, assaulting an SUV occupant, and trying to enter multiple cars in Williamstown, in the city’s inner west, before being arrested nearby. - Victoria Police
🥷Police have dismantled an organised crime syndicate linked to burglaries targeting crypto ATMs and Pokemon card stores across Melbourne’s northwest, arresting four suspects and seizing stolen trading cards, firearms, car keys, and other items. - Victoria Police
🕵🏻♀️Detectives have charged five teens in connection with an alleged assault on a 19-year-old lifeguard at a Narre Warren swimming pool last month. - Victoria Police
🔥A man died in a house fire in Melton West late Sunday night. Emergency services arrived at the Gloucester Way property around 11:45pm to find it fully engulfed in flames. The fire was extinguished and a man’s body was later discovered inside. The fire is not being treated as suspicious. - Victoria Police
👮Three teenagers have been charged after allegedly stealing a car during an aggravated burglary in St Andrews Beach, Mornington Peninsula. Police tracked the stolen car, which was later abandoned after a high-speed chase. Officers arrested three suspects: two boys, 14 and 15, and a 17-year-old girl. - Victoria Police
🕵🏻♀️Police are investigating after antisemitic graffiti was spray-painted on the garage door of Gottlieb's, a recently closed building supply store on Dandenong Road in Malvern East. The business was well-known in the local Jewish community. - April Glover, Nine News
❓ If you have a community event, news, announcement or new business you want to share, please fill in this form here. If it’s suitable it’ll go in the noticeboard section.
🏴Being originally from Scotland, I’m obliged to big up the Old Country when an opportunity comes knocking. Skerryvore, the Scottish Celtic rock band, will perform at the Brunswick Ballroom on March 14 as part of their Australian tour. Originally from the small island of Tiree, the band blends traditional Celtic music with rock, and has become a pioneer in the genre's growing popularity. - Jake Fitzpatrick, Beat Magazine
✈️January marked the busiest month in Melbourne Airport's history, with a record 3.39 million passengers passing through, surpassing the previous record from December 2019. Events like the Australian Open and a surge in international tourism are credited with the rise. - Vic Gov
🏡An AI-powered robot named Abi is being used in Melbourne’s aged care homes to combat loneliness. Abi can dance, blow bubbles, and speak 90 languages to help residents and staff communicate. She recognizes people, understands emotions, and builds friendships, with some seeing her as a grandchild rather than a robot.
➡️ Developed by Andromeda, Abi is being trialled in Prahran and is expected to expand to 22 facilities by mid-year to reduce social isolation.
⛩️Suupaa, a new convenience store and restaurant hybrid, has opened in the inner east. It’s a weird blend of Japanese convenience store culture with a Melbourne twist. The Cremorne venue offers unique dishes like mortadella onigiri, udon bolognese, and banana cold brew on tap. - Daniela Frangos, Broadsheet
🚒 Fire Rescue Victoria responded to a recycling centre fire on Waterdale Road in Bellfield yesterday. Crews used aerial trucks to combat the difficult fires, which have now been contained. - FRV
😋Melbourne's bagel scene is thriving. From classic New York-style to Montreal and vegan varieties, there are many quality options out there. But lifestyle media brand Sitchu reckons it has found the best bagel shops in the city. - Sitchu
🌲Knox Council in eastern Melbourne is removing 14 pine trees from Koolunga Native Reserve as the first stage of planned removals amid an ongoing community battle. - Matthew Sims, East Melburnian
🛠️A refurbishment of the Alphington Bowls Clubhouse is closer to happening after a decision at last week's Yarra City Council Meeting. - Yarra City Council
📢Community Noticeboard📢
📌” Nominations are open for the Banyule Volunteer Awards, celebrating individuals, young changemakers, and community groups who make a difference, with categories including Individual Volunteer, Lifetime Contribution, Young Volunteer, and Community Group Volunteer.” - more details
📌”Sons of the West is returning in 2025, offering a free men's health program for men 18 and over, presented by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation in partnership with local councils. Registration is now open for the March-starting 10-week program.” - More details
Have your news, event, gathering, new business or community update featured here. Fill in this form.
🦘And finally…A rare white albino kangaroo was spotted in Melbourne yesterday. The person who spotted it on Reddit wouldn’t share its location in a bid to protect it. White roos are extremely rare. The genetic mutation that causes snow-white fur and skin is thought to occur in only one in every 100,000 roos.
Thank you for reading edition 65 of The Melbourne Snap.
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