Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has broken down in tears at a growing memorial for a young security guard killed while trying to protect a teenage boy during a violent robbery at a Melbourne train station.
Aidan Becker, 22, died at Mernda Station on Friday night after allegedly being attacked by four males aged between 16 and 18.
Police say Becker, who worked as a security officer at The Alfred Hospital, was walking home from work when he saw a 14-year-old boy being robbed and assaulted. Investigators allege one of the offenders, 18-year-old Mike Pikos, was armed with a machete during the attack.
Becker intervened and helped escort the teenager out of the station, but police allege the group then followed him before punching, kicking and attacking him with an edged weapon.
Bystanders rushed to perform first aid while waiting for paramedics, but Becker could not be revived and died at the scene.
On Wednesday, Premier Allan visited the station, laying a bouquet from the Victorian government at a makeshift memorial where flowers and handwritten tributes continue to grow.
After meeting privately with Becker’s family, she struggled to hold back tears as she spoke to reporters.
“It’s an opportunity for me to just sit and listen and also express my deepest, deepest sympathy for someone who was a strong young man,” she said. “And to think he was just trying to do the right thing makes it even more heartbreaking for his family and loved ones.”
Among the tributes left at the site was a sealed red envelope attached to a large bunch of flowers – a message from the 14-year-old whose life Becker is believed to have saved.
“To family of Aidan Becker. Thanks for saving my life,” the note read.
In a statement released through Victoria Police, the teenager’s family said they were devastated by Becker’s death.
“We are deeply saddened by this heartbreaking loss. He showed extraordinary courage and compassion in risking his life to save our son,” the statement read.
“Our family will carry his bravery and kindness in our hearts forever. We hold your family in our thoughts and prayers.
“We request that media respect our privacy while we navigate this difficult time.”
Tributes have poured in from across the community. Colleagues at The Alfred Hospital remembered Becker as a “quiet hero”, while his football club described him as “selfless, team-first and always willing to put others before himself”.
A family friend, Emad, who works with Becker’s mother Natalie, said the moment he learned of the young man’s death left him traumatised.
He said he was watching football when Natalie contacted him. “By the time I went to call her back, I received a message saying, ‘Call me, they killed my son,’” he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.
“This wasn’t a gang versus gang attack. This is a beautiful boy who went to the aid to try to save a 14-year-old boy.”
Three teenagers aged 16, 17 and 18 have been charged with murder and armed robbery. Police allege the 18-year-old, Mike Pikos, carried the machete during the robbery.
Pikos appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody to reappear in June.
As the investigation continues, an information stall run by the government’s Violence Reduction Unit has been set up at Mernda Station to provide support services for commuters and members of the community.
For many who have stopped to leave flowers, however, the focus remains on remembering the young man whose final act was one of courage, stepping in to protect a stranger.
Images: Nine News
