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Five Arrested After Food Court Brawl at Melbourne’s Northland Shopping Centre - Melbourne, VIC
Smart summary
Four girls and an 18-year-old woman were arrested after police witnessed a fight at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston on Friday night, with a knife allegedly produced during the incident.
Five people have been arrested following a brawl at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with police investigating an incident that occurred in the shopping centre’s food court on Friday night.
Victoria Police said officers from Operation Pulse were patrolling the food court at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston when they saw a group of females involved in a physical fight. Police intervened and five people were subsequently taken into custody. The group included four girls aged 12, 14, 16 and 17, as well as an 18-year-old woman.
The incident occurred on Friday night, September 18, and was reported publicly on Saturday, September 19. Police said the 14-year-old girl suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. The 12-year-old also sustained minor injuries and was treated by ambulance paramedics. She was later released while police continued their inquiries.
The 18-year-old woman, along with the 16-year-old and 17-year-old girls, was interviewed by police. Victoria Police said those three people are expected to face charges by summons following the investigation. The circumstances surrounding the involvement of each person remain under investigation.
Police also reported that a knife was seized following the incident. According to Victoria Police, the weapon was allegedly produced during the brawl. Detectives from the Banyule Crime Investigation Unit are investigating what led to the confrontation and the circumstances surrounding the alleged use of the knife.
Northland Shopping Centre has previously experienced other serious incidents, making Friday night’s confrontation another police matter at the busy Melbourne retail precinct. Police responded to a high-profile brawl at the centre in May 2025, when a large group became involved in an altercation in the food court and machetes were reportedly used. That earlier incident resulted in a man suffering serious injuries.
Crime Statistics Agency figures cited in the latest report show that 13 major Melbourne shopping centres recorded a combined 5,901 reported crimes during the 2024–25 financial year. That represented an increase compared with the previous financial year. Northland Shopping Centre was listed among the centres with a high number of reported incidents during that period. These figures cover a broad range of offences and are not limited to violent incidents or knife-related crimes.
The latest incident has prompted further police attention around the shopping centre as investigators work to establish exactly what happened during the food-court confrontation. Police are expected to examine available evidence and speak with people who witnessed the incident.
No claim has been made that everyone involved committed an offence, and the charges expected against some of those arrested will be determined through the legal process.
Northland Shopping Centre remains a major retail destination in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, and the incident occurred in a public area where shoppers and staff were present. Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the brawl and the alleged production of a knife.
PoliceCentreShoppingIncidentNorthland
Five people have been arrested following a brawl at Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with police investigating an incident that occurred in the shopping centre’s food court on Friday night.
Victoria Police said officers from Operation Pulse were patrolling the food court at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston when they saw a group of females involved in a physical fight. Police intervened and five people were subsequently taken into custody. The group included four girls aged 12, 14, 16 and 17, as well as an 18-year-old woman.
The incident occurred on Friday night, September 18, and was reported publicly on Saturday, September 19. Police said the 14-year-old girl suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. The 12-year-old also sustained minor injuries and was treated by ambulance paramedics. She was later released while police continued their inquiries.
The 18-year-old woman, along with the 16-year-old and 17-year-old girls, was interviewed by police. Victoria Police said those three people are expected to face charges by summons following the investigation. The circumstances surrounding the involvement of each person remain under investigation.
Police also reported that a knife was seized following the incident. According to Victoria Police, the weapon was allegedly produced during the brawl. Detectives from the Banyule Crime Investigation Unit are investigating what led to the confrontation and the circumstances surrounding the alleged use of the knife.
Northland Shopping Centre has previously experienced other serious incidents, making Friday night’s confrontation another police matter at the busy Melbourne retail precinct. Police responded to a high-profile brawl at the centre in May 2025, when a large group became involved in an altercation in the food court and machetes were reportedly used. That earlier incident resulted in a man suffering serious injuries.
Crime Statistics Agency figures cited in the latest report show that 13 major Melbourne shopping centres recorded a combined 5,901 reported crimes during the 2024–25 financial year. That represented an increase compared with the previous financial year. Northland Shopping Centre was listed among the centres with a high number of reported incidents during that period. These figures cover a broad range of offences and are not limited to violent incidents or knife-related crimes.
The latest incident has prompted further police attention around the shopping centre as investigators work to establish exactly what happened during the food-court confrontation. Police are expected to examine available evidence and speak with people who witnessed the incident.
No claim has been made that everyone involved committed an offence, and the charges expected against some of those arrested will be determined through the legal process.
Northland Shopping Centre remains a major retail destination in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, and the incident occurred in a public area where shoppers and staff were present. Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the brawl and the alleged production of a knife.
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