York Regional Police are warning the public about the return of a trend where suspects purposely crash into vehicles and then steal them.
Carjackers will intentionally drive into victims’ vehicles, causing minor crashes, police said in a release. When the victim exits their car to check for damage, the suspects will confront them, often with firearms, before stealing the vehicle. Some offenders will distract the victim to allow another suspect to steal the vehicle while the owner isn’t looking, according to police.
Four staged carjackings were attempted in Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill since November, police said. In one case, the suspects failed to steal the vehicle.
Police advise residents to be aware of their surroundings and to contact police immediately or drive to a police station if they feel they are being followed.
In November, two of these carjackings took place in Markham. In the first, the victim was rear-ended by two suspects in a Honda sedan. When the victim got out of his Lexus, the two suspects approached him with firearms. One stole the victim’s car, while the other fled in the Honda.
In the second case, a suspect on a bicycle rode into the side of the victim’s Cadillac Escalade. When the victim left his vehicle to check on the cyclist, two more suspects got out of a dark sedan behind the vehicle and threatened the victim with a firearm before stealing the Escalade.
On Jan. 9, suspects lightly rear-ended another Cadillac Escalade, this time in Vaughan. When the victim left her car to assess the damage, she was confronted by two suspects, one of whom was armed with a firearm. The suspects tried to steal her vehicle but failed due to a kill switch installed inside.
On Jan. 17, a similar carjacking happened in Richmond Hill after a suspect rear-ended a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon with a dark-coloured SUV, and stole the vehicle when the victim got out of his vehicle.
Anyone with information regarding the carjackings is asked to contact the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630, or leave an anonymous tip online or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
