Police say three carjackings in less than 2 hours are linked, searching for suspects

Toronto police are searching for three suspects believed to be involved in a series of armed carjackings that took place in less than two hours on Wednesday.

Officers were first notified of a carjacking in North York in the Sheppard and Willowdale avenues area around 4:30 p.m.

Const. David Hopkinson said two cars allegedly pulled up, and a suspect produced a handgun. Some suspects fled in a Lexus,  while the other individuals sped off in their own vehicle. No one was injured.

About an hour later, Toronto police received a call about another carjacking in the Sheppard Avenue East and Ecopark Gate area in Scarborough. It’s alleged that two suspects approached the victim in a white car and robbed a man of his vehicle at gunpoint. He was not injured.

A black Toyota Rav 4 was taken, and the suspects fled the area in both cars.

Toronto police confirmed the third carjacking shortly before 6:30 p.m. in the Sheppard Avenue East and Massie Street area — approximately 10 minutes away from the second reported incident

In a similar fashion, police say two suspects approached a man and demanded his blue Toyota Corolla at gunpoint. The suspects then fled in that vehicle.

Suspect and stolen vehicle descriptions

Toronto police are searching for three suspects described as:

• A black male in his 20s, six-feet tall, 150 to 160 lbs – he was last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, black mask, and was armed with a black handgun
• A male with a dark complexion in his 20s, five-foot-nine to six-feet tall – he was last seen wearing a white hooded sweater, short black hair, and black facial hair
• A man with a slim build – he was last seen wearing all black clothing, a black mask, and was armed with a black handgun

Police say all three suspects should be considered armed and dangerous. In each incident, the suspects who did not flee in the stolen vehicle left the scene in a white four-door Hyundai Elantra.

Police are also on the lookout for the three stolen vehicles:

• 2008 white Lexus IS250 with the Ontario licence plate AMDT 138
• 2019 black Toyota Rav4 with the Ontario licence plate CJBN 929
• 2019 blue Toyota Corolla with the Ontario licence plate CHTK 924

Related:

• WATCH: Video shows carjackings in York Region; police warn of rise in violent vehicle thefts

• 2 suspects arrested after month-long violent carjacking spree across GTA

‘I was very nervous, he had a gun,’ victim describes carjacking incident

Speaking with CityNews, Jack — whose Lexus was stolen in North York — says he was working in his driveway when a white car pulled up in front of his home.

“The next thing I know, a guy came up to me pointing a gun saying ‘Hey, give me the keys to the car,'” Jack said in an interview. “I said I don’t have them on me. They’re inside the house. He then told me to get and get them.”

Jack says that the thief followed him to his door to retrieve the car keys. His wife was upstairs, unaware of what was happening. The suspect grabbed the keys from the man, entered his car and drove off with the other suspects.

“There was one driver in the car and one guy. There were two of them,” Jack said.

“At the beginning, I was very nervous. I mean, he had a gun.”

Increase in GTA carjackings “incredibly concerning” 

There has been a jarring rise in carjackings in recent weeks. On Monday in Etobicoke, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner was carjacked at gunpoint by a group of suspects in the parking lot of a Cineplex.

Marner spoke out for the first time on Wednesday, saying he’s thankful for the support while adding it was “a scary situation to be in.”

Toronto police said officers arrested a teenage boy and are on the lookout for two other suspects after three males attempted to carjack a woman in Rexdale on Tuesday. Police allege the suspects demanded the victim’s keys and grabbed her purse. The woman was knocked to the ground during a “violent struggle” and screamed for help.

Toronto police Insp. Rich Harris said that his unit had investigated 60 carjackings so far this year, while last year, it investigated 59 for all of 2021.

“Suspects usually target high-value vehicles, and these are nearly always sold for profit,” Harris said, adding that such crimes have a lasting impact on victims, even if they are physically unharmed.

Harris had simple advice for anyone in a similar situation.

“If someone attempts to steal your car, please give it up,” Harris said. “Do not resist, do not argue or fight. Your safety is worth more than the car.”