"The information we have is that the daughter and the wife observed what occurred and that may have been as a result of the commotion [they'd heard happening] downstairs," Detective Sergeant Anderson said. A 2017 white Mercedes-Benz B-class, similar to the one stolen from a home at Fabian Court, Maribyrnong. Credit:Victoria Police The attackers stole a white Mercedes-Benz B-class wagon from the property, with the registration number 1JC 1SV. CCTV captured the car in Hillside minutes after the attack, and a witness reported seeing it in Wyndham about 6.30am. The attackers are believed to be of African appearance and aged between 16 and 22, according to police. They were still on the run on Thursday afternoon.

The investigation is being handled by Taskforce Wayward, a special police unit that deals with troubled youths in Melbourne’s west. Detective Sergeant Anderson would not say if the alleged assailants were known to police through the taskforce. He would also not reveal why police believed the attack was targeted. "Our investigation indicates it is probably a targeted incident," he said. "It doesn't appear to be a random matter, it would appear that address has been targeted for a reason. "At this stage we don't know who the offenders are for sure. We have got some people who we are loosely looking at, but there's nothing to suggest they're definitely involved."

Detective Sergeant Anderson said it did not appear the victim and attackers were known to each other and there was no evidence to suggest it was linked to organised crime. The victim remained in hospital on Thursday afternoon with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He went downstairs after hearing noises in his house and hit one of the assailants with a golf club, he told police. Police outside the Fabian Court home. Credit:Joe Armao. After this, one of the attackers hit him back with either another club or the same one.

Only the car was stolen, police believe. Any witnesses or anyone with CCTV or dash-cam footage of the incident or car should contact police. Local resident James Tedesco, who lives along the street, was awake at the time of the home invasion. He said he could hear people shouting and running past his house and went to check on the commotion from his window. “I saw three youths running away from the house down the street,” Mr Tedesco said. Local resident James Tedesco witnessed the incident at Fabian Court, Maribrynong. Credit:Anthony Colangelo “Then I saw the white Mercedes reversing out of the driveway and drive down the street.”

Mr Tedesco said he then saw three more youths running after the car carrying things underneath their clothes. “They were quite emotional, shouting and thinking they’d been left behind.” He said he saw a car return to get them. Police do not know if this car was the white Mercedes or another vehicle. The whole incident lasted three or four minutes and involved at least six boys, he said. Mr Tedesco then saw a man on the floor in front of the house and a woman panicking saying: “He’s bleeding.”

Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Another woman was with them and called police and an ambulance before Mr Tedesco went to check on relatives around the corner and returned to his home. “The car had some issue driving away. I don’t know if they hit something or stalled," he said. “It’s terrifying for the people who were in the house.” Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said it was a "bad case of home invasion" and predicted swift arrests because police had "really good intel on those groups who do home invasions". "It's another example of appalling behaviour to break into houses to steal cars," Mr Ashton said.