WILDWOOD, VIC. — Police yesterday conducted a significant search in the northern suburbs after a man was shot at a property in Wildwood.
The search follows an incident at a Wildwood residential address on Wednesday night.
Investigators believe a 56-year-old Meadow Heights man attended the Wildwood Road address around 7.20pm last night with two associates.
He spoke to the occupants of the address, including a 55-year-old Wildwood man and his female partner.
An argument occurred between the parties, and police believe the Wildwood man shot the Meadow Heights man.
The other two men who had attended the property with the Meadow Heights man then fled the scene and subsequently called triple zero (000).
It is believed the Wildwood man then placed the victim in the back of his ute and drove off around 7.35pm.
When local police arrived at the property, neither the victim nor the offender were present.
The ute, a black Mitsubishi Triton with registration ATS040, is captured on CCTV at a BP service station on the corner of Mickleham and Somerton Roads in Greenvale at 00.49am, and then again at the Liberty service station on Mickleham Road in Greenvale at 00.55 am, where the Wildwood man fills the car with petrol.
The footage does not show the victim in the back of the vehicle, and his current whereabouts and condition are unknown.
The Wildwood man was subsequently taken into custody by the Public Order Response Team around 5.30am yesterday morning on Wildwood Road.
He was interviewed by detectives.
Police continue searching for the Meadow Heights man, with the Air Wing, Dog Squad and other specialist and local units currently focused on the Sunbury area.
Investigators are appealing for anyone who was in the Wildwood, Sunbury, Bulla, Oaklands Junction or Greenvale areas from 7.30pm overnight and who may have CCTV or dash cam footage to contact police.
Police are investigating whether the victim may have escaped and is still in the area injured or on foot, or whether he may have been left somewhere.
A triple zero (000) call for a suspicious fire was made on Lancefield Road at 4am, where burnt clothes were located.
Police believe these clothes belong to the man in custody.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have seen an injured man in the Greenvale, Sunbury, Bulla, Oaklands Junction or Wildwood areas since 8.00pm last night to immediately call triple zero (000).
He is described as being of Middle Eastern appearance and last seen wearing dark clothing.
