The father of a newborn remains in a critical condition after he was beaten unconscious in a violent carjacking - the latest in a spate of attacks to grip Melbourne.
The victim, aged 32, was getting into his car parked on Massey Street, Box Hill South, around 6pm on Saturday when he was set upon.
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Man critical after Box Hill carjacking
A 32-year-old man is fighting for his life after being robbed and bashed unconscious by two men outside his Box Hill home on Saturday evening. Vision: Channel Seven.
At least two men attacked him, police said, leaving him bleeding and unconscious before stealing his black 2013 Honda CRV, registration ZRK 896.
Witnesses said one of the attackers jumped in another car and sped away from the eastern suburbs address.
The man was taken to Box Hill Hospital in a serious but stable condition, but later transferred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he remained in a critical condition on Sunday night.
His wife, who did not want to be identified, said he was getting in his vehicle to pick her up from work when he was attacked.
The couple has a one-month-old baby girl. The man's father in law, who was inside their eastern suburbs home, had rushed out to find the man lying on the ground.
"He's a perfect husband, and a really good dad, and he's working hard to get back to us," she told Seven News.
"I think it's random, but they had been prepared for it, well prepared."
She remains hopeful that her husband will be able to recover from his critical injuries as she anxiously waits by his bedside.
"I'm a new mum, but if I lost my husband, I have no idea what that means to me," she told Nine News.
"Because the damage is on the right side of his head, they are really worried that the whole left body won't be moved.
"But now he can move the left hand, so this is the best thing that's happened."
This man should be celebrating new life but instead is fighting for his. More details @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/RM2QiwsEbm
— CameronBaud7 (@CameronBaud7) March 12, 2017
The incident is the latest in a series of violent carjackings that have terrified residents across Melbourne over the past 12 months.
Earlier this month, two chainsaw-wielding men stole a luxury BMW in the city's north before the car crashed at high speed into a hotel.
Carjackers in Brighton also punched a woman in the face after forcing her off the road in January, while a teenager pointed a gun at an elderly man in a failed bid to steal the man's van.
A separate carjacking spree in June allegedly involved a teenage gang armed with sledge hammers, though the accused ringleader pleaded not guilty last month.
There has been a carjacking at gunpoint outside Chadstone Shopping Centre and carjackings in Malvern where a man was bashed with a crowbar.
In a separate case, a mother watched in fear in November as a carjacker sped off in her Mercedes - with her baby still inside the car. The car was found a short time later, the baby unharmed.
The state government has vowed to introduce new carjacking laws carrying a jail sentence of up to 25 years to deal with the problem.
Currently, carjacking is not a standalone crime in the state, though it can be tracked in crime statistics by pairing the offence with others, such as robbery or assault.
Crime Statistics Agency figures reveal how the number of crimes in this category have almost doubled, from 183 to 362, during the past five years.
Police have made hundreds of arrests since launching Operation Cosmas to crack down on the city's carjackings and violent robberies.
It is not known if this weekend's carjacking has been linked to any others.
Police were not available to comment further on the case on Sunday night.
Nine News reported that a white car was found dumped in Burwood and could be connected to the latest case. Investigators had earlier appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.