Three men behind a North York car parts supply company are facing charges in connection with a string of vehicle thefts from computer parking lots across the GTA.
Police in York Region began the investigation in August after receiving numerous reports of vehicle thefts specifically targeting Honda, Acura and Toyota models left in commuter parking lots.
Investigators were eventually able to identify suspects and linked them to a North York based company that sells a variety of car parts.
It’s alleged that 32 stolen vehicles were brought to the shop on Toryork Drive where they were disassembled and sold locally or, in some cases, shipped overseas.
They said a portion of the stolen vehicles remained intact but were given new vehicle identification numbers, likely to be sold as newer cars.
Police peg the value of the goods stolen at approximately $700,000.
Video provided by York Regional Police shows investigators using a saw to gain entry to the auto shop. Once inside, police can be seen surveying multiple dismantled vehicles and several engines.
Back in October, Melissa Romain contacted CTV News Toronto to report that her husband’s car had been targeted by thieves at the Rutherford GO Station twice in less than six months.
While Romain acknowledge that car thefts aren’t uncommon, she said the second break-in left them frustrated.
“We even got the club and they’ve still managed to get in behind the club and steal the airbag,” Romain said. “It feels like a serious violation, especially when we’re paying for a reserved spot.”
York Regional Police confirmed that the Romain family’s vehicle is in fact connected to this investigation but could not say whether the vehicle was found or if it was still intact.
At the time, Romain suggested that Metrolinx should invest more in security at their lots.
Metrolinx spokesperson Vanessa Barrasa said GO Transit officers worked closely with police on their investigation. She said transit safety officers are constantly on the lookout for criminal activity.
“We’re always patrolling and we have over 2,800 cameras across our network,” she said. “It’s not something we expect to see because the crime rate at our lots is very, very low. So it wasn’t like we started to see this huge increase… it was just a few cases here and there.”
Barrasa said officers immediately report any vehicle break-in or theft to police after and encourage the driver to do so as well.
“We at Metrolinx take safety very, very seriously, it’s always our top priority,” she said. “Like any large public parking lot, it is a target, but we have much more security than any other parking lot would have. We didn’t feel it was necessary (to warn other commuters) because it wasn’t a widespread issue.”
Three suspects were arrested on Nov. 14 and Nov. 16.
They have each been charged with theft of a motor vehicle over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and trafficking in property obtained by crime.
