2 suspects arrested in 3-hour crime spree that included stabbing, carjackings, armed robberies
Posted February 17, 2023 11:52 am.
Last Updated February 17, 2023 11:54 am.
Toronto police have arrested two suspects and are seeking a third after a wild three-hour crime spree that included violent carjackings and several armed robberies.
The mayhem began on Thursday, Feb. 16, at around 11:30 p.m. when police were called to the Keele Street and Lepage Court area for reports of a stabbing.
Police say a man was parking his vehicle when a black sedan pulled up, and two men stepped out, approaching the victim and demanding his keys.
A struggle ensued, and police say one of the suspects stabbed the victim in the head twice with a large butcher knife.
The suspects then left without taking the man’s vehicle.
He was treated for stab wounds at a hospital, but police say he’s expected to recover.
Investigators allege the suspects were just getting started.
At 12:15 a.m. the next morning, officers were called to the Steeles Avenue West and Bathurst area for reports of a retail robbery.
Police say two men armed with handguns entered a store and demanded cash, cigarettes and vape products, fleeing with cash and stolen items.
A half-hour later, police say the same suspects robbed several people who were standing together in the Bathurst Avenue and Haddington Avenue area.
The indefatigable spree continued when police were called for a robbery in the Keele Street and York Boulevard area at around 1:15 a.m. Police say three men entered a store with guns and fled with quantities of cash, cigarettes and lottery tickets.
At around 1:50 a.m., police allege they struck again, this time in the Bayview and Cummer avenue area, where a person sitting in a parked vehicle was carjacked at gunpoint.
The victim fled on foot, and two of the suspects drove off in the stolen car, which police quickly spotted.
“Officers from 33 Division responded quickly, conducting a search of the surrounding area,” police said in a release Friday. “The stolen vehicle was located while being driven by the two men.
“The officers conducted a high-risk takedown of the vehicle, and the men were taken into custody.”
Police say they recovered a loaded handgun and ammunition during the arrest.
Giorgi Tchintcharashvili, 42, and Jaba Suarishvili, 29, are both facing a barrage of serious charges.
A third suspect remains at large.
