Police investigating smash-and-grab jewellery store robbery at Fairview Mall that led to car crash
Posted December 16, 2024 2:31 pm.
Last Updated December 17, 2024 5:18 am.
The latest in a disturbing string of daylight smash-and-grab robberies at jewellery stores throughout the Greater Toronto Area took place on Monday afternoon at Fairview Mall.
Toronto Police officers were called to the mall in the Highway 404 and Sheppard Avenue East area at around 1:20 p.m. for reports of a jewellery store being robbed.
Police said several suspects entered the store armed with hammers and allegedly broke open the jewelry display cabinets and took a large quantity of jewellery from the display.
They then fled in a vehicle. While leaving the mall property, the vehicle was involved in a collision. The suspects then fled from the crashed vehicle into a second getaway vehicle.
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They were taken to hospital.
The second vehicle has since been located by York police.
COLLISION:
— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) December 16, 2024
Fairview Mall Dr & Don Mills Rd
1:22 pm
– police o/s
– 2 vehicles
– 1 vehicle into pole
– occupants of one of the vehicles have fled
– other driver remained o/s
– unknown injuries
– E/B and W/B closed at Fairview Mall Dr
– ongoing investigation#GO2716145
^sc
All of the suspects wore dark clothing and masks, and no detailed descriptions are currently available.
Videos posted to social media appear to show suspects fleeing from a store in Fairview Mall. Police have not yet commented on the videos.
Another robbery at Fairview Mall jewelery store#robbery #fairviewmall #chowtaifook #northyork pic.twitter.com/RV2WWJFM3a
— Manda Panda (@Amonka88) December 16, 2024
Several jewellery stores have been targeted in recent weeks.
On Friday, December 6, officers were called to Centerpoint Mall in North York just after 7 p.m.
Footage from the scene showed several smashed display cases inside Peoples Jewellers. No injuries were reported.
On Nov. 30, a group attended Peoples Jewellers at Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke and robbed several high-priced items before fleeing the mall.
On Dec. 3, another Peoples Jewellers store was targeted in a smash-and-grab robbery, this time at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill. York Regional Police say they are looking for five suspects in that case.
One day later, a group of suspects attended Lukfook Jewellery in Markville Shopping Centre and allegedly stole several items before fleeing. Six people were arrested.
On Friday, Hamilton police arrested five people following a daring robbery at Ancaster Jewellers, where the driver of a truck reversed and crashed through the front window.
“This is a phenomenon that really relates to organized crime that is geared towards recruiting and inducting disaffected largely young males into committing sort of mob organized smash and grabs,” Adam Boni, a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto, told CityNews last week.
With files from John Marchesan and Joseph Ryan
