A 48-year-old Quebec man has been arrested for the theft of a vehicle during a test drive in Niagara, and identified as a suspect in violent carjacking in York Region.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a 21-year-old Quebec man in relation to the dealership theft, Niagara Regional Police Services said in a news release.
Two man planned the theft of a 2021 Audi RS Q8 Quattro sport utility vehicle from Audi Niagara, police said. The suspects had contacted the St. Catharines dealership to arrange a test drive of a 2021 Audi RS Q8 Quattro and had provided fraudulent identification before stealing the vehicle during the test drive, police said.
The ongoing investigation, conducted in collaboration with Peel Regional Police Service, York Regional Police, and the Ontario Provincial Police's Provincial Auto Theft & Towing Joint Forces Operation, led to the identification of the suspects of the dealership theft as Romeo Cyr and Michel Pothel, police said. The stolen vehicle was located in Toronto. The investigation determined the suspects were also linked to violent carjackings in the Peel Region (Cyr) and York Region (Pothel).
On April 19, Pothel of Terrebonne, Que. was in custody on an unrelated matter. He appeared before a judge at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines and was arrested and charged with the following Criminal Code offences: theft of a motor vehicle and fail to comply with probation order, police said.
Pothel was remanded into custody.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Cyr of La Pepiniere, Que., who is wanted for the following Criminal Code offences: theft of a motor vehicle, personation with intent; obtain/possess identity information for fraudulent; utter forged document.
Cyr is described as: white, 5 feet 10 inches, 175 lbs, slender, brown hair, blue eyes.
Anyone who may see Cyr or know his location are asked not to confront him but to call police.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009677.
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.
