Police on hunt for 4 suspects after a Markham home was invaded twice in same day

A York Regional Police patch is shown in Aurora, Ont. on Dec. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Police are on the hunt for four suspects after a Markham home was invaded twice on the same day.

Last Friday, York Regional Police (YRP) said they responded to a call in the area of Castan Avenue and Sabiston Drive in South Unionville, where they learned that that a woman’s home had been invaded twice earlier that morning.

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Police said around 3 a.m. that day, two suspects forced their way into her bedroom, sprayed an aerosol irritant at her, and stole her belongings.

Later that same morning, around 7:40 a.m., two other suspects whom police described as being shorter than the first pair, allegedly forced their way into the victim's bedroom, and restrained and assaulted her, police said.

They then fled in a white sedan after stealing a "quantity of cash" and other items, police said.

The victim sustained minor injuries.

Investigators believe the suspects were different in each incident and are looking for four people in total.

The suspects from the first incident are only described as approximately five-eleven and wearing masks, while the other two from the second home invasion are described as Chinese males, wearing blue medical masks, and black clothing. One of the suspects was also armed with a small hammer. They spoke Mandarin and Fujianese, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call YRP’s Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.