Catastrophic brain damage murder

Catastrophic brain damage murder

The Age

Emma Partridge

May 19,2015

 

 

A mother and father were searching for their teenage son, when they peered into the window of a house and saw the unimaginable on Sunday.

The Villawood parents of Mahmoud Hrouk, 16, spoke to their son about 9.30pm on Saturday.

But when he failed to return home and could not be contacted, they reported him missing to the police.

They went looking themselves after someone tipped them off about their son possibly being at a house on Belmore Street in Fairfield East.

When they went to the house on Sunday morning, they saw a bloodied body on the floor, police said.

"They went to that address and found, from looking inside a window, what appeared to be a body inside the premises," Fairfield police acting Commander Steven Thomas said on Monday.

"The male has sustained serious, very brutal head injuries as a result of his death," he said.

A homicide detective said it was a very "complex" investigation and it remained a mystery on Monday afternoon as to why anyone would want the 16-year-old dead. 

"He was pretty viciously assaulted in a house that was vacant. Whether he was there or going past on his push bike - it's really a mystery," the detective said. 

Mahmoud's mountain bike was found near bushes about 200 metres from the house his body was discovered in and police said he was not known to them.

Acting Commander Thomas said the teenager was last seen at Villawood McDonald's about 6.30pm on Saturday.

He said police were desperate to speak to any of the boy's associates and to know whether anyone saw him riding his bike in the streets of Belmore, Bligh or Lupin streets at the weekend.

Acting Commander Thomas said Mahmoud's parents were "very distraught" and that he was not known to police.

"Information was given to us through family that he may have frequented that address," he said.

The teenager's body had yet to be formally identified on Monday but his parents had released a photo of him so that his last known movements could be tracked.

"How would any family be doing in circumstances where obviously a son is still missing and a young person has been found at a location where ... he may have gone to?" he said.

"So they are distraught by the whole situation and they are getting support from police and other family members."

Police said they had a number of leads and were looking at persons that could be associated with Mahmoud.

Many friends and family posted tributes on social media after hearing of his violent death.

"RIP moudie I can't believe this is happening… you will be missed," wrote Hmadd Amoudd.

Neighbour Lori Maary Regan said she saw Mahmoud riding his bike on the street the day before he was killed.

"He lives around the corner from my street his bike was found 3 doors down from my house yesterday police were walking on foot looking through bins," she said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.