Man who allegedly took TTC hammer, broke into east-end Toronto store wanted by police

A man who allegedly stole a TTC emergency hammer and broke into an east-end Toronto business is wanted by police. (Handout)

Police are looking for a man who they say removed an emergency hammer from a TTC vehicle and smashed an east-end Toronto storefront’s window before allegedly stealing items from the business.

In a news release, police said that on Feb. 25 a man was on a streetcar in the area of Queen Street East and Coxwell Avenue in the city’s Upper Beaches neighbourhood.

The man removed an emergency hammer from the streetcar and exited the vehicle with the tool, police said.

A little over two weeks later, the same man was caught on surveillance video at 2:40 a.m. near Broadview and Browning avenues, just north of the Danforth, at a property that police said does not belong to him.

On Monday, police allege the man used a hammer to break a storefront window at Gerrard Street East and Broadview Avenue in East Chinatown before he stole items from the display.

The suspect is described by police as standing five-foot-eight with a medium build. Police said he was last seen wearing a face mask, blue baseball cap, a black leather jacket with a blue “Blues” logo on the back, a long grey shirt, dark pants, and black shoes.

He was also in possession of a small metal hammer with a red handle, police said.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500 or Crime Stoppers.