Toronto police say a 40-year-old man is facing charges for allegedly trying to steal a fire truck shortly after contacting authorities to say he was trapped along the Scarborough Bluffs.
A police spokesperson told Global News officers were called just before 8:20 a.m. on Friday by a man who said he was stuck, telling operators his cellphone was about to die. The phone cut out during the call.
The spokesperson said that due to the rainy weather and the dangerous conditions where the man said he was stuck, the call prompted a large response from Toronto’s emergency services agencies.
After arriving, police said the man wasn’t found on the bluffs.
A short time later, the spokesperson said the man jumped into a fire truck and tried to take off. Police said he was quickly taken into custody. The spokesperson said an investigation is underway and that investigators are checking into information the call was fake.
Toronto resident Jermaine Nichols was charged with attempted theft over $5,000 and failure to comply with recognizance. He appeared in a Toronto court more than an hour and a half after he was arrested.