A 19-year-old Toronto man and his alleged teenage accomplice, who tried to steal a dozen cars at gunpoint for 11 days last month, are now in custody, police said.
Toronto Police Inspection. Richard Harris said that between May 15 and May 26, two men armed with pistols tried to steal 10 vehicles in Scarborough and two in the Durham region.
They fled in five cars. Fortunately, none of the vehicle operators were injured.
“There are no physical injuries sustained by any of the victims,” Harris said. “But one can only risk guessing about the psychological effects – communities as a whole are fed up with this.”
Harris said that during this time, the couple also approached a pop-up stand selling fireworks.
“An armed suspect stole money and fireworks,” Harris said.
Investigators were unable to locate the suspects until June 2, when police received information about two men driving a stolen vehicle in the Brampton area.
Police have launched a high-risk arrest and detained two men.
Police said they also found a loaded pistol, a copy of a pistol, tools for stealing cars, clothes and a car that was taken from an alley in Scarborough on May 18.
Harris said the vehicles were “not high-end” but “intended to be used to commit other crimes”.
All four other vehicles seized were found abandoned in various locations in Scarborough.
Toronto resident Tylick Jones has been charged with 44 offenses, while a 17-year-old who cannot be identified under the terms of the Juvenile Criminal Justice Act faces 56 charges.
Harris said there was no evidence to suggest the couple was linked to a larger criminal network.
Recent car theft incidents at the GTA have involved suspects brandishing weapons such as pistols and knives, with up to six incidents in the region overnight in May.
One meeting included Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, who lost his Range Rover in front of Etobicoke.
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