2 adults, 4 children charged in connection with string of armed robberies in Toronto

A man, a woman, a 12-year-old girl, and three teenage boys have been charged in connection with two armed robberies in Toronto earlier this year.

On Friday, Toronto police said the armed robberies happened at two stores in the area of Van Horne and Victoria Park avenue on Jan. 2 and Jan. 5.

In the first incident, police allege two female suspects walked into the store and asked to buy cigarettes.

Four male suspects then ran into the store and rushed behind the checkout counter, where one of them allegedly took out a handgun and demanded the register be opened.

Toronto police allege they assaulted the employee by striking him in the head multiple times before taking an undisclosed quantity of cash and various items from the store’s shelves and fleeing.

Days later, police said they responded to a company alarm call in the same area.

This time, officers allege three male suspects walked into a store wearing masks to hide their identities. One of them allegedly brandished a handgun, pointed it at the employee, and ordered the cash register be opened.

In this incident, police allege another of the male suspects took out a can of pepper spray and discharged it at the employee. Then they took some cash and cigarettes, before fleeing the area, police say.

The following week, on Jan. 11, members of Toronto’s Hold Up Squad executed a search warrant at a residence in relation to the investigation.

At the time of the search, officers found two replica handguns allegedly used during the robberies.

On Jan. 18, the Hold Up Squad, alongside Toronto police’s 42 Division’s Primary Response Unit and Major Crime Unit, executed three search warrants at other residences in relation to the investigation.

During the search, officers allege they found “items of evidentiary value” related to the investigation, and a woman, a girl, and a boy were found and brought into custody.

Kristine Dorsey, 38, and a 12-year-old girl were charged with one count of robbery with a firearm and disguise with intent. Officers charged a 15-year-old boy with two counts of the same charges.

They are individually scheduled to appear in court at various times on Jan. 19 and Feb. 8.

On Jan. 23, police located another one of the wanted suspects – a 14-year-old boy – and brought him into custody, where they charged him with two counts of robbery with a firearm and two counts of disguise with intent. He was scheduled to appear in court later that day.

On Feb. 8, officers with Toronto police’s 52 Division’s Primary Response Unit located another of the wanted suspects – a 16-year-old boy – and took him into custody.

He was charged with robbery with a firearm and disguise with intent and was scheduled to appear in court the following morning.

The final outstanding suspect was brought into custody on March 22, after investigators say they recovered items of evidentiary value.

Ronald Irakoze, 21, was charged with two counts of robbery with a firearm and disguise with intent, possession of property obtained by crime, and eight counts of failure to comply with probation.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call police.