Alleged axe attacker arrested after manhunt

Peter O Ryan, 48, has been apprehended following an alleged violent attack on his family with an axe. The incident occurred in Tyers, Victoria, after an argument broke out at the family home on Saturday afternoon. According to police, Ryan allegedly attacked his mother and father before turning his weapon on his brother. The attack left Ryan's father, aged 77, and brother, 47, with life-threatening injuries, requiring immediate surgery and intensive care at the Alfred Hospital.

Ryan's mother, 74, was also hospitalized with critical injuries but remains in a stable condition. Ryan was located nearly four days after the incident, arrested on Tuesday night after police received reports of a suspicious individual loitering near the scene. Detective Senior Sergeant Rodney Findlay of Victoria Police described the attack as one of the most serious he had encountered in his career, noting that the perpetrator's actions were particularly alarming.

The attacker's father and brother remain in critical condition, while his mother is in stable condition. Police have thanked the public for their assistance in locating Ryan.