A man who intervened to help a shopkeeper in Melbourne’s west as a group of youths allegedly tried to steal from a store has been left with ‘unsurvivable’ injuries. 

Three boys aged 12, 13 and 15, and two 14-year-old girls were charged on Sunday with a series of assault-related offences after a man was seriously injured in the incident.

Police allege the group tried to steal items from a store in Sunshine on Saturday afternoon before a street scuffle ensued with an employee.

Van Viet Truong, who was working nearby at a grocer, came to the shopkeeper’s aid before he was allegedly attacked by the group and seriously injured.

The 60-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

During a hearing in court on Sunday, the magistrate said: ‘Within hours or days, he will die.’

‘[He was left] in an unsurvivable situation and it’s inevitable the charges of affray and intentionally causing serious injury will be upgraded,’ they added, according to 7News.

All five youths were charged with affray, violent disorder, intentionally causing injury and intentionally causing serious injury.

Three boys aged 12, 13 and 15, and two 14-year-old girls were charged on Sunday in Melbourne with a series of assault-related offences

Van Viet Truong, who was working nearby at a grocer, was allegedly set upon by the group

Mr Truong had attempted to help a fellow shopkeeper in Sunshine as a group of youths allegedly tried to steal from a store

During the court hearing, the mother of the 12-year-old wept as he was refused bail.

The 13-year-old boy was granted bail. Police have petitioned the court to keep the three others in custody.

Fellow shopkeepers told the Herald Sun that Mr Truong, who owns the Hong Hung Asian Grocery shop, described him as a hard worker.

‘He’s worked seven days. I’ve never seen him have a day off. He contributed so much to the community,’ one neighbour said.

Another shop owner, Lang, said she and Mr Truong had both worked on the street for 40 years  and described him as a ‘very good man’.

The alleged attack comes days after newly appointed Victorian Premier Ben Carroll unveiled new retail worker protection laws. 

The laws will grant courts the power to restrict access to workplaces for people who assault, intimidate or stalk workers.

Carroll called for the teenagers to be tried as adults for their alleged crimes. 

The Good Samaritan was left with ‘unsurvivable’ injuries, a magistrate said

Pictured, a figure faces a group of youths on Saturday in Sunshine

‘This was terrible what occurred to this gentleman in a retail shop. There’s no tolerance for this sort of behaviour, it’s awful,’ he told reporters.

‘[It has] lifetime consequences for [the alleged victim], but also for the [alleged] offenders.

‘There’s going to be lifetime consequences for you, because your life is going to change when you face jail time.’ 

Violent events in Victorian shop settings were up 10.5 per cent so far in 2026, according to data from retail crime intelligence platform Auror.

Those figures follow a 29 per cent spike in retail violence in 2025.

More than 7700 cases of crimes against individuals, including assault and harassment, were recorded in Victorian retail settings in 2025, according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

Sunshine Business Association president Vu Du told the Sun that the alleged attack was not new and traders are fed-up with anti-social behaviour.

‘We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred on Saturday however this isn’t an isolated incident and youth crime is becoming an increasing problem,’ he said.

‘The SBA committee and businesses are seeing first hand the daily issues with not only youth but drunken and disorderly, homelessness and mental health concerns.

‘Changes need to occur at both local and state government, business operators are already struggling with the current economy but when individuals are stealing or vandalising their property it makes it incredibly dire to keep their doors open.’

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson accused Carroll of voting against a Liberal workplace protection bill that would have taken immediate effect, instead favouring an equivalent Labor bill. 

‘Labor’s scheme won’t come into effect until the middle of next year,’ she said.

‘Ben Carroll and Labor are not serious about cleaning up the crime crisis in this state.’