A 15-Year-Old Boy Has Been Charged In A String Of GTA Armed Robberies & Many Involved Guns
The boy was among a group of suspects police are still looking for.
A Toronto Police cruiser.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) has arrested and charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with a string of armed robberies around the GTA that took place over the course of nearly three months.
Described as "takeover-style robberies," police said 14 pharmacies and one financial institution were targeted between September 3 and November 21 by a group of suspects.
The group is alleged to have travelled around the GTA in stolen vehicles and during the robberies, "several boys" would enter each location together and make demands for cash and drugs.
"At some incidents they used a handgun, some used a knife, and other suspects used physical violence to control any shoppers or employees inside the stores," said TPS.
The suspects made off with narcotics and cash in most pharmacy robberies but left "empty-handed" from the financial institution. In each case, they got into a getaway vehicle that was waiting somewhere close by.
TPS said as part of a collaborative investigation with York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police, and Halton Regional Police, one of the boys involved in the robberies was identified and arrested on Wednesday.
The 15-year-old is facing a total of 70 charges including nine counts of robbery with a firearm, two counts of pointing a firearm, uttering death threats, and various assault offences.
He was due in court for a bail hearing on Thursday.
The boy's name is not being released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
With their ongoing investigation, TPS did not provide any other details regarding any of the other suspects in these robberies.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7350, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.