Fourth person arrested following serious collision between stolen BMW and TTC bus

A TTC bus collided with another vehicle near Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue on Monday morning. (Courtney Heels/ CP24)

A fourth person has been arrested and charged after a stolen BMW SUV was involved in a serious collision with a TTC bus that injured 9 people last month.

Police say a group of suspects allegedly carjacked the driver of that vehicle in Brampton and used it during a subsequent home invasion in North York.

On Nov. 1, police were called to the area of Sandalwood Parkway East and Conestoga Drive, west of Kennedy Road, for reports of a carjacking.

According to investigators, a driver was travelling in their white BMW X6 when the operator of a black sedan cut them off. Two suspects then allegedly exited the car and approached the motorist.

One suspect then allegedly produced a handgun and demanded that the driver hand over their vehicle. The victim exited the SUV and the suspects drove away in it with the black sedan in tandem, Toronto Police Service (TPS) said in a news release.

Roughly two weeks later, on Nov. 13, at about 4:22 a.m., police said they were called to the area of Bathurst Street and Brooke Avenue, just south of Highway 401, for an alarm at a residence.

Investigators allege that five suspects travelling in the stolen BMW X6 attended a home and used a rock to smash the front glass door. The glass was reinforced with security film, they said, and the suspects were unable to enter the dwelling. The suspects fled a short time later in the same stolen BMW X6.

Shorly before 5 a.m. that day, police said they responded to a call for break and enter in progress near Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road.

They further allege that five suspects travelling in the same stolen BMW X6 attended a residence, forced open the front door, and entered the premises. Police said the suspects then stole some personal items before fleeing the area in the stolen BMW X6.

On Nov. 18, just before 2 a.m., police responded to a call for a crash near Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue involving that stolen vehicle and a TTC bus. Two people were critically hurt in that collision.

Members of Toronto police’s Hold Up Squad subsequently launched an investigation with the help of the Traffic Services unit.

The following day officers executed four search warrants in Toronto and in York and Durham regions.

At the time of those raids, police said officers recovered a replica handgun as well as “items of evidentiary value related to the investigation.”

Abhira Ponniah, 33, of Markham, Khasim Mohammed, 19, of Toronto, and Anestan Ganeshamoorthy, 31, of Pickering, were arrested and charged with several related offences.

Pooniah is set to appear in court on Jan. 2. Mohammed had a Nov. 19 court date, while Ganeshamoorthy was scheduled to appear in bail court on Nov. 22.

On Dec. 3, 19-year-old Toronto resident, Fahad Almohammad was arrested and charged in connection with the investigation. He was scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 4.

Police continue to investigate and are asking anyone with information to contact TPS at 416-808-7350 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.