18-year-old Toronto man connected to armed carjackings arrested in Barrie
Posted June 16, 2022 4:43 pm.
Last Updated June 16, 2022 4:45 pm.
An 18-year-old has been arrested and faces charges concerning a series of armed carjackings and retail robbery incidents.
Toronto police say this is the third arrest made as part of Project ZigZag — an investigation that focuses on the surge in violent vehicle thefts that have plagued the GTA and its residents over the past few months.
Investigators allege that an armed man would approach drivers and demand their car keys in the carjacking incidents. At least one other person would wait nearby in a getaway vehicle.
Officers say these individuals carried out five carjackings and, when successful, would flee in the stolen cars.
In a separate retail robbery, investigators say an armed male suspect would enter a store and demand cash and fireworks. Another person would be waiting in a getaway car.
Barrie Police help out in armed carjacking arrest
Toronto police say officers in Barrie responded to a carjacking incident on June 7, where a victim was shot. In that incident, two arrests were made.
As a result, investigators in Toronto identified one of the suspects as a key figure in armed carjackings carried out across the city.
That man was taken into custody by Toronto police on Wednesday.
Officers identified that individual as 18-year-old Michael Williams of Toronto. He’s facing over 20 combined charges, including 11 counts of robbery with a firearm and 11 counts of disguise with intent.
Williams made a court appearance on Thursday.
There have been well over 100 carjackings in Toronto this year, which has led police to set up a new investigative unit to focus on the surge in violent thefts.
There were 103 carjackings in the city in all of 2021.
