A Footscray man has been charged with a series of thefts on liquor outlets across Melbourne.
The 36-year old was arrested around 9am Wednesday morning and subsequently charged with 12 counts of theft and one charge of unlawful assault.
He was bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 13.
The charges relate to the alleged theft of tens of thousands of dollars worth of liquor from bottle shops across Melbourne between August last year and April 6.
The string of thefts took place in Hoppers Crossing, Coburg, South Melbourne, Malvern, Malvern East, Mulgrave, Chadstone, Epping, Broadmeadows, Preston, Melton and Ascot Vale.
Police allege that in all incidents the offender targetted high-end alcohol, removing security tags and exiting the store without making any attempt to pay.
They allege the male assaulted a staff member whilst stealing a bottle of wine valued in the thousands of dollars from a store on Mount Alexander Road in Flemington on April 6.
