Five teens face 160 charges in connection with a series of street-level robberies and weapons offences in Vaughan.
The latest of these violent robberies happened on June 3 around 5:45 p.m. after a man was robbed in the Weston Road and Rutherford Road area.
The man was walking down Legnano Crescent when he was approached by a group of male suspects who demanded the victim hand over his belongings, police say.
The victim was hit several times with a baseball bat before the suspects fled the scene by foot.
The five teenage suspects were identified and located a short time later and were placed under arrest.
Following the arrest, police say they siezed several firearms, knives, baseball bats, a quantity of drugs and several weapons that are categorized as prohibited.
York regional police believe these same five suspects, between the ages of 15 and 17, are responsible for several other robberies that have been reported to police.
Investigators with York regional police say there may be other unreported robberies because victims are scared of this organized group.
The five teens face a series of 160 charges, including:
- Robbery
- Extortion
- Uttering threats
- Unauthorized possession of a weapon
- Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle
- Careless storage of a firearm
- Possession of cocaine
- Possession for the Purpose – Cannabis
- Possession of property obtained by crime
They are scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court on June 10.
Anyone with information that could assist police in their investigation are asked to contact them at 1-866-876-5423, extension 7443 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
