SHOCK has swept through Frankston after a man was allegedly killed by a stranger at Frankston Pier last week.
Just after 6am on Saturday, 29 June, police were called out to Frankston Pier to respond to an alleged assault. Emergency services arrived soon afterwards, but the victim could not be revived. The 45-year-old Cranbourne North man died at the pier.
Later that day, police arrested 36-year-old homeless man Forrest Stevenson and questioned him over the alleged attack. On 30 June they charged him with murder. The victim has since been identified as Andres Pancha, a father of three. Tributes from his friends and family have flooded social media in the wake of his death.
In a statement, Victoria Police said that the alleged offender and victim did not know each other. “Homicide Squad detectives are investigating and at this stage are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident. It is also believed the parties involved were not known to one another,” a Victoria Police statement read. The pier was cordoned off last weekend while homicide detectives investigated the scene.
The alleged offender faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 30 June.
First published in the Frankston Times – 2nd July 2024