A Mercedes owner was first bashed with a baseball bat before six young men, believed to be part of Melbourne's Apex gang, stole his luxury car and then used it to commit a violent home invasion.
Taskforce Tense, set up to investigate the Apex teenage crime gang, is investigating the attacks in the city's southeast.
Police say a 29-year-old Mercedes car owner had parked his car in Toorak at 2am on Monday when a car hit his Mercedes from behind. Six young men severely beat him around the head and stole his phone and car.
He was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police believe the Mercedes was then used in an aggravated burglary in Cranbourne a few hours later, where up to five men kicked in the door of a house.
They grabbed some items before an occupant of the house confronted them with a baseball bat and they fled.
Detectives charged three Apex gang members on Sunday with aggravated burglaries, assault and car theft after two home invasions on Saturday morning.
Two other teenagers were arrested but released pending further inquiries.
Victoria Police set up Taskforce Tense in November to tackle Apex, whose 100-odd members - some as young as 12 - are thought to be behind a spate of aggravated home burglaries and car thefts.
The gang is also blamed for riots in Melbourne's CBD during the Moomba festivities in mid-March.
