NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE
*************************
Members of the Air Support and Canine Units partnered with officers in #4 District Uniform Patrol and 9-1-1 Communications Centre staff to make three arrests in Vaughan July 12 and 13, 2023.
Just after 10 a.m. on July 12, police responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a cube van and an SUV at Rutherford Road and Canada’s Wonderland Drive. Witnesses reported that the two occupants of the van had fled on bicycles retrieved from the vehicle’s cargo compartment. The driver of the SUV was uninjured.
Officers discovered that the cube van was reported stolen from a rental service on July 7 in London.
A Canine Unit officer soon observed two men matching witnesses’ descriptions of the vehicle’s occupants near Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive. The suspects fled into a swampy, wooded area, where one was arrested immediately. From high above in Air2, a tactical flight officer spotted the second suspect, who had climbed roughly 40 feet into the canopy of a tree. Assisted by his police service dog, who had already tracked the suspect to the tree, the canine officer brought the man into custody without incident.
A 29-year-old man, of no fixed address, is charged with possess property obtained by crime exceeding $5,000 and possession of stolen property not exceeding $5,000 and a 40-year-old man from London is charged with failure to stop after accident and possession of stolen property not exceeding $5,000.
At just after 1 a.m. the next morning, police were dispatched to another motor vehicle collision between a sedan and a pickup truck near Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive. Following the collision, police received reports that three male occupants of the sedan had fled the scene on foot.
While searching the area, a local resident called the 9-1-1 Communications Centre to report a suspicious person in their backyard. With guidance from the Air Support Unit high above in Air2, Canine Unit officers followed a track and located a man hiding in bushes on a nearby property.
A 28-year-old man from Toronto is charged with prowl by night. The driver of the sedan is outstanding and the investigation is ongoing.
Video of the July 12 incident can be found here. Video of the July 13 incident is available here.
“These arrests demonstrate the value of two specialized units working together to keep our community safe,” said Chief Jim MacSween. “I’m impressed by the teamwork and efficiency demonstrated by these officers.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7441, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips, or leave an anonymous tip online.
*************************
