Video shows police using helicopter to track down carjacking suspects
York Regional Police have released a video showing the arrest of two suspects who allegedly stole a Mercedes in Richmond Hill – the latest in a string of armed vehicle thefts that has prompted police services in the Greater Toronto Area to create a carjacking task force.
YRP announced Friday that they are leading the task force, which includes Toronto police, Peel police, Durham police, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario.
"This task force will further co-ordinate law enforcement efforts across the GTA to combat the issue," YRP said in a release.
The announcement comes as YRP said they made arrests in connection with a carjacking in Richmond Hill on Wednesday evening.
Police said a driver was sitting in his Mercedes in a plaza parking lot in the area of Leslie Street and Green Hill when he was approached by two men armed with handguns.
The suspects allegedly assaulted the driver and stole his watch, wallet and cellphone before fleeing the scene in his vehicle, police said.
A police helicopter tracked the suspects and the stolen vehicle to a Toronto address.
YRP posted the video of the arrest captured from its Air2 helicopter on YouTube. The helicopter was able to locate the vehicle parked on a dead-end street.
"I can't say 100 per cent it's the vehicle, but I'd say this is a 95 per cent look alike," a police officer can be heard saying in the video. Two people are then seen getting out of the vehicle.
The video then jumps to when police arrived at a driveway of a home where the suspects were.
"They're gonna run, they're gonna run," an officer is heard saying in the video.
The two suspects are seen making a dash, jumping fences and running through backyards to evade arrest.
However, a short time later, police are seen apprehending the two suspects.
Police said two 19-year-olds were arrested and charged with robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent and possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm.
Police continue to ask anyone with information to contact the hold-up unit at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 6631 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
There have been an increase in armed carjacking incidents reported across the GTA this month. Among the victims was Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner whose Range Rover was stolen at gunpoint outside an Etobicoke movie theatre.
Just this week, Toronto police and Durham police responded to six carjacking incidents between late Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning. Later that evening, two armed men stole an SUV from a Brampton driveway.
The rash of violent carjackings in Toronto prompted Mayor John Tory to send a letter last week to his federal and provincial counterparts, asking for help to deal with the incidents.
"This situation and the trend line cannot continue, and I am writing to ask for your help," he wrote. "I am confident that by working together in partnership, all three levels of government
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.