York Regional Police have shared a video of hold-up squad investigators and air support officers in Air2 as they work together to arrest two man and two teenagers in connection with a series of armed robberies in York Region and around the GTA.
One of the armed robberies took place on Friday, Jan. 20, shortly after 10 a.m., when York Regional Police were called to a currency exchange store near Yonge Street and North Lake Road in Richmond Hill.
Two males armed with a firearm attempted to gain entry as the victim was opening the store, police said in a news release.
The victim was able to flee and the pair left in a dark-coloured Mazda.
Air2 located the vehicle on Highway 407 and monitored it travelling into Durham Region.
Members of the hold-up, canine and emergency response units located the vehicle, along with four male suspects, as an armed robbery was being committed at a bank near Victoria Street West and Gordon Street in Whitby.
The suspects attempted to flee the area, however they were all arrested outside of the bank after a foot chase.
The vehicle’s licence plate was determined to be stolen, police said.
Hold-Up unit investigators have linked the suspects to a pharmacy robbery in Peel and a jewelry store in Oakville on Jan. 18, as well as a robbery at an electrical supply store in Vaughan on Jan. 19.
Investigators are seeking witnesses who may have seen anything in the area or anyone who may have cellphone, dashcam or video surveillance footage in the area at the time.
A 21-year-old of no fixed address, a 20-year-old from Stoney Creek, along with two youths, a 16-year-old from Brampton and a 15-year-old from Toronto, have been charged with a combined 46 criminal charges.
These include robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent, and fail to comply with a court order.
Anyone with information on these incidents are asked to contact York Regional Police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.
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