By Jaidyn Kennedy
The victim of a carjacking at Pacific Werribee is urging other young women to be cautious around the area.
Alisha, 19, who works at the shopping centre, said she was confronted by a masked male carrying a machete in the Coles car park at about 1.50pm on Monday, April 28.
“It’s so hard for me to speak at the moment, I keep picturing in my head, and hearing the guy with the machete,” she said. “I haven’t been to work, and at the moment, I can’t even drive past the plaza, let alone be there.”
Alisha said she has struggled sleeping and is seeking counselling. “I’ve definitely been having struggles trying to fall asleep, been envisioning it over and over in my head,” she said. “I haven’t been out of the house by myself and every time I get out of the car, I have to look behind me.”
Her friends and colleagues have also become fearful, Alisha said. “Most of my friends work at the plaza as well, and they park where I park, so they’ve been on edge.”
She said given the volume of foot traffic at the plaza, increased security measures and police presence in the area is worth consideration.
Police have arrested four people in relation to the alleged incident.
A 15-year-old boy, from the Greater Geelong area, has since been charged with two counts of aggravated carjacking, armed robbery, theft and theft of motor vehicle .
A 13-year-old boy, from the Greater Geelong area, and a 16-year-old girl from the Latrobe area, have both been released and are expected to be charged on summons.
A 15-year-old boy, from the Greater Dandenong area, was cautioned in relation to the incident.
The stolen vehicle remains missing.
A Pacific Werribee spokesperson said the centre’s security personnel were supporting police with an investigation.
“The safety and wellbeing of our entire Werribee community is always our overriding priority and something we take very seriously,” the spokesperson said.
