A Wangaratta man wanted on several warrants is alleged to have violently stolen a car from an elderly man and crashing it some one kilometre away on Saturday. The 26-year-old appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court from a police custody link in Dandenong after his arrest in Berwick on the weekend. A Victoria Police spokesperson said it was alleged the man was behaving erratically before he stole a Subaru Forester from a 91-year-old man outside an aged care facility on Melville Park Drive in the south-eastern suburb of Melbourne around 12:30pm. “The 91-year-old driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to hospital,” they said. The Wangaratta man was alleged to have driven to High Street, some one kilometre away, where he crashed the SUV around 12:45pm. He was arrested on Lyall Road at a nearby shopping complex and taken to hospital under police guard. The 26-year-old was then charged with aggravated carjacking, recklessly cause injury, burglary, theft of motor vehicle, theft, unlawful assault, reckless conduct endangering life, drive in a manner dangerous and fail to appear on bail. He sat quietly in court as it was heard the 26-year-old was also facing charges for alleged offending in Wangaratta and was wanted on several warrants issued last week. Defence counsel Calvin Sloan said it was his client’s first time in jail, and he was withdrawing from ice and alcohol. Mr Sloan said the 26-year-old was diagnosed with schizophrenia, PTSD and was anxious about his first time behind bars. Magistrate Megan Casey remanded the man in custody to re-appear at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on 25 September for his Wangaratta related matters. He will face a committal mention at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 17 November for the charges relating to the alleged carjacking. There was no application for bail.
