York Regional Police shared a video of Hold-Up Unit investigators and Air Support officers in Air2 as they worked together with ground units to arrest four male suspects in connection with a series of armed robberies in York Region, Durham Region, Peel Region and Halton Region.
On Friday, January 20, shortly after 10 a.m., police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a currency exchange store in the area of Yonge Street and North Lake Road, in Richmond Hill. Officers learned two male suspects armed with a firearm attempted to gain entry as the victim was opening the store. The victim was able to flee and the two male suspects left in a dark-coloured Mazda.
Air2 located the vehicle on Highway 407 and monitored it traveling into Durham Region. Members of the Hold-Up, Canine and Emergency Response Units located the vehicle, along with four male suspects, as they committed an armed robbery at a bank in the area of Victoria Street West and Gordon Street in Whitby. The suspects attempted to flee the area, however they were unsuccessful and were all arrested outside of the bank.
The vehicle’s licence plate was determined to be stolen.
Hold-Up Unit investigators have linked the four suspects to a pharmacy robbery in Peel and a jewellery store in Oakville on January 18, as well as a robbery at an electrical supply store in Vaughan the next day.
A 21-year-old male with no fixed address, a 20-year-old male from Stoney Creek, along with two youths, 16-year-old male from Brampton and a 15-year-old male from Toronto, have been charged with a combined 46 criminal charges, which include Robbery with a Firearm, Robbery, Disguise with Intent and Fail to Comply with Court Order.
Investigators are seeking witnesses from any of the robberies who may have seen anything in the area or anyone who may have cell phone, dashcam or video surveillance footage in the area at the time.
Anyone with information on these incidents are asked to contact the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.
