$15K TO GET ‘EM
‘I’LL KILL YOU’ HAMMER-WIELDING BANDITS IN FRIGHTENING SMASH & GRAB Fed-up APCO servo bosses mull desperate ploy to catch violent crims
OUTRAGED service station owners are considering offering a reward to help track down five offenders who terrorised an employee with hammers in a violent hold-up.
APCO service station directors Peter and Robert Anderson are seeking legal advice and looking to offer a reward of up to $15,000 to help track down the offenders who ransacked the Mill Rd store before fleeing in a Mercedes with stolen numberplates.
A lone employee was working the nightshift in Lara yesterday morning when four armed men smashed their way through locked doors with hammers.
APCO Lara owner Dean Hinch said the employee had seen a silver Mercedes pull up at “very high speeds” at 1.40am when four men got out, leaving one offender behind as the “getaway driver”.
Two offenders have been described as being of African appearance, and another of European appearance.
“They put a hammer through the front door, they all charged at my employee, who locked himself into the back rooms,” Mr Hinch said.
He said the terrified employee barricaded himself behind a locked office door while the masked, hooded and gloved men smashed the door eventually breaking its frame.
Mr Hinch said shocking footage of the attack showed the men shouting and threatening to kill the employee.
The footage lasts minutes and shows the men forcing the employee to hand over access to hundreds of packets of cigarettes and cash.
“The employee is fairly shaken,” Mr Hinch said. “They were screaming and threatening — they were saying, ‘I’ll kill you’ or ‘I’ll hurt you’.”
He said the employee handed over money, as per protocol, before the offenders jumped in a car and sped off.
Police were called immediately and confirmed they are looking for five offenders.
“No one was injured as a result of the incident and the investigation is ongoing,” spokeswoman Alex Day said.
Mr Hinch said the employee was “showing a brave face” but was shaken.
“The point is that sometimes in cases like this it might stop people from ever being able to work again,” he said.
“I am devastated that I don’t know how to protect my employees. I don’t think (the offenders) understand what this does to people’s lives.”
Robert Anderson said APCO was reviewing security and would do whatever it took to ensure employees were safe.
He said managers were considering offering a reward to ensure offenders were apprehended.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.