Some Toronto residents fear for their safety after alleged car thieves break into home to steal key fob

A number of residents in a midtown Toronto neighbourhood are sounding the alarm about what they described as a brazen and terrifying trend that has seen their homes being broken into by suspects with one objective in mind: stealing key fobs so they can take their vehicles.

CP24.com spoke with three residents in the Yonge and Lawrence neighbourhood who are concerned about the increasingly brazen ways that thieves are targeting vehicles in the area.

One shared a home surveillance video which captured two suspects throwing a brick into a window flanking the front door to gain access to a house. Once inside, the two allegedly took the keys to a Mercedes-Benz GLA and drove it away.

"We have cameras, we have lights. They were there within a metre of a camera directed at their heads. And it didn't matter," said Meghan, whose last name CP24 is not using because she is concerned for her safety.

"They didn't pause. They were so brazen and so determined to take our car."

The incident happened on Sept. 12. Meghan recounted that she and her husband were awoken by a loud crashing noise, which they initially thought was one of their two teenage children.

Alleged car thieves break into midtown home in search for a key fob.

However, when her husband went downstairs to check what had happened, he saw their front door wide open and broken glass on the floor.

"And then we noticed that my car was gone," Meghan said.

"Never in our wildest dreams did we think that somebody would go as far as breaking into a house to find keys," she added.

Meghan is just one of the several residents in the neighbourhood who have had their vehicles stolen in recent months through this new scheme. CP24.com is aware of two more incidents that police are investigating, but the affected residents have declined to be interviewed due to safety concerns.

"Absolutely terrified," Meghan said. "Angry is not the word. We're very, very traumatized."

She said police were able to ping a location for the Mercedes using an app but only items from the vehicle, including the tracker, were recovered.

"The police believe that what (the suspects) did was they pulled over, they dismantled the GPS, and they threw all the items that were in my car out in case there was any type of AirTag or a device like that," Meghan said.

Her car has not been located. No arrests have been made in the theft.

The incident last month wasn't the first time Meghan was targeted by car thieves. In 2022, her Jeep Wrangler was stolen from the driveway. However, she said that incident didn't impact her family as much as the recent theft because it didn't involve the thieves going inside their home.

"We have been through this before. That didn't feel as unsettling because it was taken from the driveway. It didn't affect my family. I didn't feel like it affected our safety," Meghan said.

"A year later, and clearly, these criminals are just becoming more and more fearless."

Toronto police said the number of auto thefts taking place in the city has more than doubled since 2019.

As of Oct. 14, 9,476 vehicles have been reported stolen in Toronto – an increase of 30 per cent from the same time last year.

“Although I don’t have the numbers for break-ins related to auto thefts, I can tell you that the level of violence being used in the commission of auto theft offences represents a new and evolving threat to public safety,” Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said in a statement to CP24.com.

“Around the clock, we have investigators aggressively working to address auto thefts in the city. This issue is very complex because the demand for stolen cars is very high, and the criminals are very motivated.”

Sayer noted that it has been a significant issue in the city and that Toronto police and the Ontario Provincial Police are co-leading a provincial task force to address the rising incidents of violence related to auto crimes.

Last month, York Regional Police also released video footage showing a group of suspects gaining access to several homes to find key fobs for the vehicles parked in the driveway.

In the nearby Lawrence Park neighbourhood, Didi Cameron said a neighbourhood watch group she started has also seen an increase in incidents of break-and-enter car thefts in the past few months.

"Every time there's a new way of doing something, there's a bit of a panic, as usual," Cameron said. "They're definitely nervous and concerned."

Residents are uploading videos to the group to alert their neighbours. In one video Cameron shared with CP24.com, one person is seen trying to break a front door window with a rock without success.

She said she has contacted their local police division for advice that she can share with residents. Cameron added that she planned to host a town hall where officers can talk to the community and address their concerns.

She believes that one of the reasons suspects have resorted to breaking into homes is because residents have heeded the recommendations of authorities on what they can do to avoid getting their vehicles stolen, including using Faraday bags and steering wheel locks.

"We're all sort of listening to the police tips, changing the way we're doing things. So now they have these thieves, these criminals have to find a new way of getting keys," Cameron said.

Another resident in the Yonge and Lawrence neighbourhood believes the suspects who targeted Meghan's car also tried to steal her vehicle the previous night. Melanie told CP24.com that a number of unknown individuals attended her home on the evening of Sept. 11 and tried to get inside. CP24 is not using her last name because she fears for her safety.

Security footage she provided to CP24.com shows a person holding a flashlight, walking up to the front porch and looking into the window before checking if the door is open. After learning that it is locked, the person disappears from the video, and Melanie said the person tried to open a secondary entrance on the side of the house.

Shortly after, he appears back in the frame and proceeds to check on a BMW parked on the driveway, using the flashlight to peer inside.

Fifteen minutes after the incident, Melanie was awakened by an alert on her phone that said a person was on her property.

After checking the footage, she called the police. Melanie had her Range Rover stolen a year ago but said it didn't involve the thieves coming into her house.

"It's sort of escalated to (suspects) breaking into homes, knowing that residents are home, knowing that they're on camera, knowing that their alarms are on. And they're still coming," she said to CP24.com.

"This is apparently a new tactic because they're not able to do the typical relay theft."

Melanie, who has lived in the neighbourhood since 2007, said residents in their area have increasingly become worried.

"I've had a vehicle stolen; it's inconvenient. It's not ideal, but it's quite different when they come into the homes," she said. "That's kind of alarming."

In addition to the type of vehicles people have in her neighbourhood, Melanie believes thieves are targeting their area because it is close to Highway 401.

"They're able to get on Highway 401 in a matter of five or 10 minutes at 2 a.m. And they can be anywhere. They can be on the 400, 404, 427, so very difficult to catch."

As a parent, the incident has left her worried and nervous, especially when her son is home alone.

"You should feel safe in your home,” Melanie said. “You shouldn't feel as though that a particular car you drive you're at risk coming in with weapons.”