A teenager was chased by machete-wielding thugs threatening to kill him in a horror e-bike theft. The schoolboy, who has not been named, was riding the bike in the Wantirna suburb of Melbourne, Australia, when he was ambushed by two men in masks.
“I stopped to check my phone and was knocked off my bike from behind,” he told the Herald Sun. “They started swinging the machetes at me when I was on the ground.”
He managed to get to his feet and run away, but was chased down by the men, who were shouting “Oi, just kill him right now” and “Quick, quick, just kill him”. He was then slashed across his back several times before one of the men stabbed him in his left shoulder, according to reports.
“I thought they were going to kill me and was begging them not to and asking them why they were doing this,” the teenager said. “Then they got on my e-bike and rode away.”
He managed to reach a nearby street, where he received help from passersby and was eventually taken to hospital.
He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and underwent several surgeries before being discharged after a week of recovery, the Daily Mail reports.
Police launched an appeal to identify the masked men after CCTV footage showed them riding through the Melbourne suburbs on the boy’s bike, which is valued at around $10,000 (£7,400).
Knox CIU senior sergeant Samuel Beard said the unit was committed to tracking down the two attackers.
“The sheer and immediate violence in the attack is just reprehensible,” he added. “It’s absolutely disgusting.
“Any small piece of information might be the final piece of the puzzle we need.”
Anyone who witnessed the attack or has information that could help the police has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
