Van Viet Truong, 60, has sadly passed away after allegedly being bashed by children as young as 12 in Melbourne’s west.
Truong ran to help out a fellow shopkeeper in Sunshine, Victoria, after five teens aged 12, 13, 14 and 15, fled from the store with allegedly stolen goods.
When he confronted the group, CCTV footage captured a scuffle breaking out before Truong was struck in the head a number of times, and hit his head on the ground as he fell.
His injuries were so severe it “left [him] in an unsurvivable situation”, according to Magistrate Robyn Hamilton at a children’s court.
On Thursday morning, Victoria police confirmed Truong had “sadly died yesterday afternoon”.
Police arrested and charged three boys and two girls from Brimbank and Banyule areas with affray, violent disorder, intentionally cause serious injury and intentionally cause injury.
They were remanded to appear before a children’s court at a later date. The 13-year-old boy was exonerated and had charges withdrawn following further investigations.
The mother of the 12-year-old boy made a plea for her son to be granted bail on Sunday, which had been denied.
Following Truong’s death, detectives “will consider upgrading the charges following the death of the victim”.
Victoria’s new Premier Ben Carroll labelled the alleged attack “completely unacceptable” and said the case should be subject to Victoria’s ‘adult time for violent crime’ initiative.
Truong was believed to be married with two young children, and his family members had been visiting him in hospital before his death.
Fellow shopkeepers have remembered him for a hard-working man, “He loved his wife so much and he’s got two kids. He worked hard.”
Image: 7News
