Two people have been arrested, including a teenager from Hamilton, in relation to “violent” carjackings in Burlington and Oakville, Ont., last year, Halton police say.
The 15-year-old boy was charged with robbery with a firearm and failure to comply with youth probation for an incident on Oct. 28, 2023, police said in a news release Tuesday.
A 28-year-old man, also from Hamilton, was charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm for the Oct. 28 carjacking as well as other carjackings on Oct. 7, 21 and 29, said police.
The names of both suspects have been withheld to protect the identity of the teenager, who is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The arrests were made on June 27.
Police said they’re continuing to search for other people involved.
Cars stolen in parking lots
The four carjackings were carried out the same way, said police.
“The suspects approached the drivers in public areas and attempted to physically remove them from their high-end vehicles,” the news release said.
“A handgun was seen, however none of the victims suffered any physical injuries.”
During the Oct. 29 incident, a driver of a Dodge Durango was confronted by a man holding a handgun near an ice rink on Appleby Line, said police. The driver handed over the keys, and left the vehicle, and it was stolen.
Police in Hamilton also lay charge
The GTA has seen a spike in carjackings in recent years as stolen vehicles are being shipped and sold overseas.
Another man was recently charged for armed carjackings across Hamilton last fall, Hamilton police said on Wednesday.
The man was also charged for a series of pharmacy robbery and is custody for charges stemming from a different investigation, said police.
Watch: Friend of carjacking victim says he came to Canada ‘for a better future’
Gurvinder Nath, 24, died in hospital after he was carjacked in Mississauga on July 9, police say. A friend of the victim describes him as a hard-working man who was trying to ‘fulfill his and his family’s dreams.’
Earlier last year, food delivery driver Gurvinder Nath, 24, was killed in Mississauga, Ont., after multiple people confronted him and attempted to steal his car. Nath was “violently assaulted” and died, Peel police said.
Police have since arrested and charged at least two suspects with second-degree murder, including a boy under the age of 18.
Adults often exploit youth: Toronto inspector
Other young suspects have been arrested for allegedly participating in carjackings in the region.
A 11-year-old girl was arrested in Brampton in April, along with another girl, 13, and a boy, 16. A warrant was issued for the arrest of a fourth suspect, a 17-year-old boy.
Through social media, a victim was lured to a high school parking lot, Peel police said.
The suspects approached him with a knife and demanded his vehicle, said police.
The victim was struck in the head and stabbed in the leg but survived.
Carjackings are often committed in groups with ties to car rings, Toronto police inspector Joseph Matys previously told CBC News.
Adults often exploit youth because of different sentencing standards for those under 18.
“But then there’s also youth who believe that this is easy money and they’re in it for themselves,” he said.