Police task force leads to arrests after armed carjacking in Vaughan

A newly formed police task force helped investigators in York Region track down and arrest a man and woman following yet another brazen, armed carjacking outside a home in Vaughan.

Police received a call just after 1 p.m. on Tuesday for reports of a carjacking at a residence on Purcell Crescent in the Keele and Teston Road area.

It’s alleged that a man driving a 2020 black Audi Q5 was on his way home when he was confronted by two men armed with handguns. The suspects stole the victim’s car, wallet and cell phone.

The victim was not physically injured.

With help from Peel Regional Police, uniformed officers were patrolling a shopping plaza in Meadowvale Town Centre Circle in Mississauga when they located the stolen vehicle.

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Police said two people, a man and a woman, attempted to flee the scene and dropped a pouch containing a loaded magazine. The pair were quickly arrested, and a firearm was found inside the stolen vehicle.

Prayer Osakpemwehuan, an 18-year-old man from Toronto, faces several charges, including robbery with a firearm and careless storage of a gun.

Kafui Setsofiah, a 19-year-old woman from Mississauga, faces the same slew of charges.

Newly formed GTA police task force making presence felt

The pair of arrests comes after separate task forces assembled by Toronto police and members of York Regional Police in an attempt to resolve a recent increase in violent carjackings.

“This was an armed and violent carjacking, the impact of which is felt not only by the victim but the entire community. This arrest shows once again that crime knows no borders,” said Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich.

“At the same time, it illustrates how communication, cooperation, and collaboration can bring those that victimize our communities to justice. I’m proud of the frontline officers whose keen eye led to the arrest of two individuals.”

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said the investigation is ongoing.

“YRP [York Regional Police] thanks Peel Regional Police for its diligence and assistance with this case,” MacSween said. “We will continue to lead this GTA-wide task force to further coordinate law enforcement efforts in combating these crimes.”

York Region’s police department recently arrested two people with the help of the force’s Air2 helicopter in Richmond Hill, which tracked the suspects down to a home in Toronto.