A Group Of Teens Have Been Stealing Cellphones Throughout Toronto And Face Nearly 300 Charges

Toronto Police are currently investigating several Toronto cellphone store robberies that have been conducted by a group of teen who calls themselves the 'Matrix Bandits'. So far, twenty-two men have been arrested and nearly 300 charges have been laid. Toronto Police are still investigating nine unsolved robberies and are still looking to arrest more suspects. 

According to a press release by the Toronto Police, the Matrix Bandits is a group of teens that age from 15 to 17 as well as some men that are old as 25. Police state that new members of this group are recruited through social media before aiding in these store robberies. Since December 2018 this group has been involved in 32 cellphone store robberies that occurred in the GTA as well as multiple carjackings and vehicle thefts. 

Police state that during these robberies between two to five men from this group would enter the store and would use weapons and zip ties to restrict the employees and customers of the store.  They would then fill large bags full of cellphones and flee the scene by car. 

Since Toronto Police have become aware of these robberies, they have started a joint investigation with the York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police and Halton Regional Police where they have been able to make 22 arrests and lay 278 related charges. 

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A majority of the men who have been arrested remain unidentified due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Yet, some of the charges that have been laid include robbery, possession of a weapon, disguise with intent, assault with a weapon and forcible confinement. 

However, the case is still well underway and Toronto Police admit that they are still investigating nine unsolved cellphone robberies that are assumed to have been conducted by the Matrix Bandits throughout the GTA. 

Security footage has been released from one of the unsolved robberies that took place on February 11, 2019. Police state that during this time two men entered a cellphone store that was located at Lawerence Avenue West and Allen Road. 

The males used a baton to assault both the store employee and an 83-year-old customer while they were robbing the location. The men fled with numerous phones. 

Anyone with information on the Matrix Bandits is asked to contact police at 416-808-7350 or at Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.