A new task force focussed on the spike in carjacking incidents in the Greater Toronto Area is producing results as two people were arrested in separate incidents on Feb. 6.
The first incident took place during the middle of the afternoon in midtown Toronto when a suspect approached a victim in their driveway at a home near Mount Pleasant Road and Manor Road, according to a police report.
“The suspect approached the victim while holding a sharp object in his hand,” stated TPS in a report. “The suspect made a demand for the victim’s car keys.”
The victim complied, called 911, and the police arrived so quickly the victim hadn’t even left the area yet. A 35-year-old Toronto man was arrested and charged with Robbery with an offensive weapon, and Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000.
Under the collaborative leadership of the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) is composed of various law enforcement agencies across the GTA, including York Regional Police, Halton Regional Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service, Peel Regional Police, and other allied organizations. PCJTF is tasked with disrupting “the networks responsible for violent and high-risk auto thefts and maximize enforcement efforts against criminal organizations.”
In a separate incident in the vicinity of Steeles Avenue East and Markham Road, the PCJTF intervened once again resulting in the arrest of a 24-year-old man from Toronto.
The man was apprehended after allegedly threatening a victim with a firearm and taking with their vehicle. The suspect was located by officers from 42 Division, with the vehicle and a replica firearm recovered. The man now faces multiple charges, including Robbery while armed with a firearm, Disguise with intent, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5000.