A man has been arrested following a terrifying aggravated burglary in Altona this morning.

Alex Ross, his wife and his two young children were forced to barricade themselves in a bedroom after they heard an intruder inside their McBain Street home.

The intruder broke in at about 2.30am and stole the keys to a Mazda SUV, before taking off in the vehicle.

Police arrived as the man was attempting to flee, boxing in the vehicle.

The driver, a 34-year-old Reservoir man, crashed the Mazda into a police van, parked cars and a gas main before being pepper-sprayed and arrested.

Eleven people from three neighbouring homes were evacuated due to the ruptured gas main but no-one was injured.

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