Police warn that brazen auto thieves are placing tracking devices on your luxury vehicles for thefts while you are in the mall shopping.
Brazen car thieves may be tracking you as you finish shopping and you don’t know.
Patrons going shopping at Sherway Gardens and other area malls are being asked to be vigilant for people acting suspiciously around their vehicle due to increasing car thefts.
The warning stems from the arrest of a man at Yorkdale Mall who was charged for placing tracking devices on high-end vehicles.
A suspected auto thief was recently arrested at Yorkdale Mall for allegedly placing tracking devices on two Range Rovers for future thefts.
Toronto Police said on February 10 at around 3:20 p.m. officers responded to a call of a suspicious incident at the busy mall.
A customer observed a suspect kneeling beside a parked Range Rover Sport vehicle before walking away, according to detectives.
The sharp-eyed citizen alerted mall security who called police.
Police investigated and allegedly found a tracking device hidden on the Range Rover.
Thieves will follow you home from shopping and steal your high-end vehicle right from your driveway.
“Further investigation revealed the accused had attached a subsequent tracking device on another vehicle of the same make and model in the mall parking lot,” police said in a release.
Officers said a man was arrested and a firearm was found.
Yannis Demmouche, 26, of Montreal, was charged with 12 counts of firearms-related offences, criminal harassment, possession of proceeds of crime, fail to comply with probation and a slew of other offences.
The most recent suspected thief is from Montreal and was nabbed at Yorkdale Mall in search of cars to steal and for sale abroad.
He was scheduled to appear in court at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Avenue West, on February 11.
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.
Police suspect the accused would track the expensive vehicles to the home of the owners and steal it from the driveway.
The arrest was made by members of the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) to target the rising incidents of violence related to auto theft crimes in the GTA.