Trapped in a car for two hours, Croydon Park shooting survivors say they have been ‘forgotten’ by police

The two Sydney sisters were cruising down the Croydon Park shopping street when their windshield shattered with a bang.

Julia and Jane, who asked for pseudonyms to be used, were driving along Georges River Road on the evening of Sunday, October 5, when 60-year-old Artemios Mintzas allegedly fired a high-calibre rifle from his apartment window.

Jane slammed on the brakes as glass shattered around them. Unbeknownst to them, her new Mazda had stopped directly outside Mintzas’ apartment.

Trapped in their car for nearly two hours as around 50 bullets were fired around their car, Julia says she felt forgotten during the reign of terror.

“It was just bang, bang, bang. The car was shaking and we thought the tyres were blowing out,” Julia said.

Ducking as low as they could behind the dash, Jane rang Triple Zero. They called at 7:46 pm – less than two minutes after the first shot – and police cars soon surrounded them.

The pair were on the phone for nearly two hours, the call cutting out twice. The Triple Zero operator repeatedly told them to stay put, promising evacuation after the injured were removed from the scene. At one point, they were transferred to the police negotiator.

“We were sitting there begging them to get us out.”

But still no one came. With Jane slumped over the console, unable to move her chair to a safer position because the car ignition was off, and Julia crouched on the floor of the passenger seat, the pair felt completely exposed.

Julia said she could see Mintzas lean out of the window and allegedly point the barrel of the gun at the car.

“I thought, is he going to shoot my sister in the back … or was I going to get it in the head? I just thought, that’s it. I just hope it’s quick,” Julia said.

“I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t drive the bulletproof van in front of us to block us.”

Soon, they heard a loud bang, a flash of light and saw tactical police rush into the apartment and grab Mintzas. Julia said they hung up the phone at 9.36pm, moments after Mintzas was apprehended. He has since been charged with 25 offences, 18 of which are shooting at with intent to murder, with Julia and Jane listed on the charge sheet.

After being escorted to safety, interviewed by police and declining an offer to be taken to the hospital, Julia and Jane went home.

Their car was shot four times. One man was allegedly shot in the neck and chest and underwent emergency surgery. In total, nine people were taken to the hospital, several with facial injuries caused by broken glass, with others treated at the scene for shock and minor injuries.

Julia said the care ended there. She said they weren’t offered further support, and while police said they would put them in contact with a trauma counsellor, they never did.

“It was harrowing. I keep reliving that night. I don’t know whether you could ever explain what that terror was, and how alone you feel. How do you move on from that?” Julia said.

The sisters are struggling to eat and sleep, and they are yet to return to work. They have both arranged to see a psychologist.

A NSW Police spokesperson said victims of crime can access 22 hours of free counselling via the Department of Justice and Communities Victim Support Services. Police will only put people in contact with these services directly when they are family members of victims of homicide. There were no fatalities in the Croydon Park shooting.

Jane’s insurance has advised the car can be repaired and returned to them. “The car we were almost killed in – as if [she] would want to get back in that car.”

Police have been lauded for their bravery and swift response. Premier Chris Minns has said officers, some of whom were fresh out of the police academy, “stayed in their ground, kept the community safe, and … saved scores of lives”.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said last week police were forced to take cover while trying to assist members of the public.

“To show that sort of bravery, to put their lives in danger to assist members of the public is probably the greatest honour we can do as police officers,” he said.

Julia is frustrated by this rhetoric, along with the focus on Mintzas in media coverage.

“The [alleged] criminal has legal aid. What about all those poor bystanders, minding their own business, who have never broken the law? I’m angry, I’m upset,” she said.

“It’s the lack of compassion … of understanding and comprehension. Does anyone care?

“I feel forgotten.”

Mintzas was refused bail and will next face court in December.

The Herald has spoken with his ex-wife, from whom he separated more than a decade ago. He has two adult children and worked as a customer service attendant at Sydney Trains.

Family told the ABC they had requested police conduct a welfare check on Mintzas in September after becoming concerned for his mental health. The family said he moved into the Croydon Park apartment after being evicted from his Belfield rental and grew miserable. Responding officers found him to be fine.

Police are still searching for a motive for the alleged shooting. Mintzas had no reported mental health history with police and had no known link to terrorism or gang activity.

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