19-year-old charged for stealing multiple vehicles across GTA
Posted October 26, 2023 12:00 pm.
Last Updated October 26, 2023 12:12 pm.
York Regional Police say the provincial carjacking task force arrested a 19-year-old allegedly behind multiple vehicle thefts across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
On October 24, authorities were looking into reports of a stolen Audi S5 in Markham when officers observed a man steal a 2021 Range Rover in the Steelcase Road West and Woodbine Avenue area.
Police said the suspect was arrested and the stolen Audi S5 and Range Rover were recovered. The man is believed to have committed three additional vehicle thefts in Peel Region.
The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Ariyan Chegini of Richmond Hill.
He’s facing several charges, including four counts of motor vehicle theft, five counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, among other offences.
“Co-led by the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, the task force is a collaboration between police services from across the GTA, including York Regional Police, Halton Regional Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service, Peel Regional Police, and other external agencies, including Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario,” a police spokesperson wrote in a news release.
On Wednesday, Toronto police announced that over 1,000 cars had been recovered, and more than 200 people were arrested and charged as part of a stolen vehicle investigation across the city.
Police Chief Myron Demkiw said there have been just under 1,000 vehicles stolen in Toronto to date in 2023, and during Project Stallion, more than 3,500 vehicles were stolen across two police divisions.
