A heinous, abhorrent, disgusting crime

ALEXANDRA Crime Investigation Unit detectives are appealing for public assistance as they continue to investigate a home invasion in Yea last week, where a man was seriously injured and his house was destroyed by fire.

Three unknown offenders knocked on the door of a rural farm property on Melba Highway about 1.15am on Monday, June 23.

It is understood two of them were armed with firearms and one had a machete, as they confronted a 68 year old man and entered the house.

Police are treating the incident as a targeted attack and believe the offenders may have got the wrong address.

The offenders demanded cash and a firearm from the victim. When he was unable to comply with the demands, the offenders blindfolded him before assaulting him.

Detectives were told they dragged him out of the house and forced him into the boot of his own vehicle.

One of the offenders then drove the car along the victim’s driveway, where he was forcibly removed from the car and taken to a nearby paddock. Police were told they continued to assault him in the paddock and poured petrol onto him.

One of the offenders then held the man at gunpoint in the paddock while the other two set the victim’s house on fire.
No one else was inside the property at the time and it was completely destroyed in the fire.

The offenders fled the scene in another vehicle.

The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.

He drove to another property to call Triple Zero (000). Three firearms, used for farming, were stolen from the property and remain…