A Melbourne teen celebrating his 16th birthday thought he was going to die, after he was stabbed in a brutal attack while hanging out with some mates in the city’s west on Thursday.
Rhyan Singh was playing basketball in Tarneit with two friends not long before he was due home for a family dinner when they were randomly set upon by a group of up to eight men armed with machetes.
It’s alleged the group demanded the teenagers to give up their mobile phones, with Rhyan also forced to hand over his new Nike Air Jordan sneakers which were a birthday present.
The Year 10 student was then stabbed multiple times, sustaining injuries to his ribs, arms, hands and back before his alleged attackers struck him in the back of his head.
Victoria Police said another teen who was at the basketball court with Rhyan, was also stabbed, with the youths later taken to hospital to receive treatment.
The 16-year-old’s mother Sushma Manandhar and his father, were devastated by the attack, saying their “world just collapsed” upon hearing the news.
“It’s not fair … we were planning for his birthday,” Ms Manandhar told 7News.
“When he said ‘mummy I love you, I think I’m dying, I’ve been stabbed, I think I’m dying’ I was like ‘that’s it, that’s it, we’ve lost him forever.”
CCTV footage capturing the moments after the incident, obtained by 7News, shows emergency services attending to the crime scene where the three youths were injured.
One male is heard screaming in agony while an unidentified distressed mum screams “that’s my son”.
On Friday, Police executed a warrant at an address in Aintree in Melbourne’s west, where they arrested a 20-year-old man in relation to the incident.
He’s since been charged with armed robbery, robbery and recklessly causing serious injury. He was remanded and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Rhyan is now recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to save the fingers on his left hand, and is expected to remain in the medical facility’s care for several days.
His two friends are also recovering in hospital after receiving medical treatment.
“If people like that are walking around, how can we feel safe for our children?” Ms Manandhar said.
Investigations into the incident remain ongoing, with Victoria Police urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The attack comes a week after another three school students were stabbed at a shopping centre in Melbourne’s northwest, in what’s understood to be an unrelated incident.
The teenagers received non-life threatening stab wounds, when they were allegedly set upon by an 18-year-old man and two 17-year-old boys at Watergardens Shopping Centre on July 20.
The three males were later arrested at about 6pm by police, following reports from Hillside residents who told emergency services they had observed a suspicious vehicle.
The 18-year-old was charged with indictable assault police and six counts of breaching bail, while the 17-year-olds were arrested and interviewed, before later being released. It’s expected they will be charged on summons.
Meanwhile in June, 14-year-old Ethan Hoac was killed after he was stabbed in St Albans, with 16-year-old Pasawn Lyhym also losing his life in a separate knife attack near Sunshine train station.