By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A serious-crime wave over the past week has kept police busy in Geelong and the Surf Coast.
Two armed robberies, a pair of shootings, a gang-bashing, two serious car accidents and a rape investigation have kept police on the run.
Local area commander Inspector Graham Banks said some of the serious crimes this week were drug-related.
“It’s just one of those situations where individuals are behaving poorly at the same time,” Insp Banks said.
“But we certainly don’t need a week like this every week.”
Armed Crime Squad detectives have charged a woman following an armed robbery at an NAB bank branch in Newcomb’s Bellarine Village Shopping Centre.
A man aged 75 waiting in a queue detained the 29-year-old woman after she and a male accomplice armed with a shotgun entered the bank about 3pm on Wednesday.
The man fled in a grey or light-coloured VN Holden Commodore sedan.
Police charged the Geelong woman with armed robbery and firearm offences. She appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning.
A hunt is underway for the man, with police urging him to contact them.
Armed Crime Squad detectives also dealt with a robbery at Buckley’s Entertainment Centre on Monday night.
Police were told a man and a woman in disguises and armed with a gun entered the Fellmongers Road venue just before 11pm and demanded cash.
The pair left empty-handed and no-one was injured, police said.
The same night a Lara man was airlifted to hospital with gunshot wounds after he approached people sitting in a car outside his Alison Street property.
Armed Crime Squad detectives were told the 49-year-old victim was shot after he spoke with a man in the car about 9pm.
An unknown man in a silver vehicle dropped off a 23-year-old woman with a gunshot wound at Geelong hospital about 5am Monday.
Torquay Crime Investigation Unit detectives released images of a vehicle and a man wanted for questioning about a robbery of three German backpackers at Lorne on Saturday.
Police said three men in their twenties were sitting in a rental car at Teddy’s Lookout when a man and woman approached them about 4am.
The pair, wearing balaclavas, smashed the car windows with a baseball bat and demanded the victims hand over their belongings.
The offenders were driving a dark-coloured Ford Territory with stolen plates, ZVX-678.
Police also this week charged a 53-year-old Bell Post Hill man over an alleged sex assault at Lorne in 1986.
He was bailed to appear at Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Police urged anyone with information about any of the incidents to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au.
