Police Release Video of Southern Ontario Smash-and-Grab as Search Continues for One Suspect

York Regional Police have released a video that captures the arrest of suspects after a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store in Newmarket, Ont. York Regional Police

York Regional Police recovered approximately $100,000 worth of jewelry and apprehended four teenage suspects following an Oct. 15 smash-and-grab robbery at a Greater Toronto Area mall. One suspect remains at large.

Police have released a video of the takedown, which occurred just before 6 p.m. after a robbery at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket. The footage shows police cruisers surrounding a white Mercedes SUV on Steeles Avenue during rush hour traffic following a chase along Highway 404.

The suspects attempted to flee on foot but four of the five were arrested with the assistance from the canine unit and air support unit. Footage showed some of the suspects being handcuffed at the scene.

Police are still looking for one male suspect between the ages of 16 and 20.

The dramatic takedown occurred after York Regional Police received a call just before 5:30 p.m. about a robbery at a jewelry store inside a mall in the area of Yonge Street and Davis Drive.

Security footage from the store shows five masked suspects entering the store armed with hammers. The suspects, who all appear to be wearing black hoodies, smashed several display cases in the store before filling their duffel bags with jewelry.

The suspects were confronted by mall security but managed to escape after releasing an “aerosol irritant” toward the security personnel before fleeing in a white Mercedes SUV, police said in an Oct. 16 press release.

Investigators said the vehicle used in the robbery had been stolen earlier that morning during a home invasion in Vaughan. It has not been determined whether the same suspects were involved in that incident.

Three teenage boys and one man have been charged with robbery with an offensive weapon, disguise with intent, assault with a weapon and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 in connection with the jewelry store robbery.

Eighteen year-old Kareem Haniff of Toronto is facing charges along with two 16-year-old boys, one from Toronto, one from Brampton, and a 15-year-old boy from Brampton. The teenagers cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The fifth outstanding suspect is described as a young male with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black shoes, and a black face mask.

Call For Reform

The smash-and-grab robbery occurred a day before Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his Liberal government would table bail reform legislation next week that targets violent and repeat offenders.

Carney told reporters during an Oct. 16 press conference that the legislation will target those accused of serious crimes such as violent auto theft, breaking and entering, human trafficking, violent assault, and sexual assault. He did not say if any changes will be made to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, a federal law that governs the justice system for youth ages 12 to 17.

Politicians and police have been calling for an overhaul of this law, highlighting during multiple press conferences this year that a significant number of the offences occurring in the Greater Toronto Area are committed by underage individuals.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw spoke out about the increase in the number of teens involved in violent crime over the past two years during a press conference last month.

“We’ve had 13 young people charged in murder investigations this year in our city. That’s very alarming,” he said during a Sept. 10 news conference to announce charges against teens linked to the Aug. 16 shooting death of eight-year-old JahVai Roy.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also called for changes to youth justice laws on multiple occasions.

The most recent was during a fireside chat with host Ben Mulroney at an Oct. 14 Empire Club of Canada luncheon in Toronto when the premier said youth should be sentenced as adults for serious crimes. He noted the rise in teenagers involved in shootings and home invasions.

“There’s too many judges that are just bleeding hearts [saying] ‘Oh, we gotta give them a second chance,’” Ford said. “No, these are troublemakers. These kids need to be sentenced, and they need to learn before they go in, there are consequences when you go in with a gun on a violent crime.”