Video shows knifepoint carjacking in Richmond Hill

Police have released new video footage showing an armed carjacking in a Richmond Hill parking lot on Wednesday afternoon.

The victim was parked outside a plaza in the area of Highway 7 East and Leslie Street at approximately 5 p.m. on July 24 when the incident happened.

In the video, released by police, a masked suspect dressed in black is seen stepping out of the passenger seat of a black SUV and walking toward the victim’s vehicle.

The suspect then opens the driver’s side door of a black 2023 Mercedes SUV and appears to have a brief interaction with an individual inside.

The video then shows the suspect reaching inside the vehicle. Seconds later, the driver gets out of the vehicle and runs toward a nearby store.

At the same time, the suspect is seen getting behind the wheel and quickly exiting the parking lot with the getaway vehicle, believed to be a Honda CRV, leading the way.

The whole incident unfolds over the span of approximately one minute.

A suspect is seen getting out of a getaway vehicle prior to a carjacking in Richmond Hill on July 24. (York Regional Police)

Police say that the suspect was armed with a knife when they approached the victim and demanded their keys, though no injuries were reported.

The getaway vehicle was later located abandoned in Mississauga, police say. Investigators later learned that it had been stolen in Toronto the previous day.

The victim’s Mercedes SUV, meanwhile, was later located abandoned in Toronto.

Police say that they have yet to apprehend the suspects. No suspect descriptions have been released.

“Investigators are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Officers would also like to speak with anyone who may have video surveillance or dashcam footage in the area at the time of the incident,” a news release issued on Friday notes.