Two suspects are facing charges after a month-long carjacking “crime spree” spanning across parts of the Greater Toronto Area, police say.
Toronto police said an investigation dubbed Project Tyga was launched in March after vehicles were stolen in Toronto, York Region and Peel Region.
Toronto police worked with York Regional Police and Peel Regional Police on the investigation.
The targeted vehicles included Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Audi models, police said.
“It’s an estimated total value of the vehicles obtained over this one-month crime spree to range in and around one to 1.5 million dollars,” Toronto police Insp. Rich Harris said.
“The suspects used extreme violence towards the victims while committing these acts with the sole intention of stealing these vehicles for profit. They focused on obtaining high-end SUVs and it’s believed that these vehicles were being obtained for the sale to illicit businesses throughout the GTA or also for transportation overseas.”
Harris said the suspects would travel in stolen vehicles on highways in the Greater Toronto Area, and would identify vehicles that they intended to target.
The suspects would then follow the victims to an intersection or their residences and “would commit these violent acts,” Harris said.
“The suspects would wait for the victim to stop the vehicle before approaching and demand that the victims would exit their vehicles,” he said.
“In most incidents the victims were compliant, however they’d be subjected to unprovoked violent physical attacks.”
Some of the victims received medical attention after the incidents, including one who went to a hospital.
Harris said a total of 17 vehicles have been recovered, while two remain outstanding.
Three were found abandoned in Toronto and two were found burnt out, Harris added.
“In eight of these incidents, suspects were thankfully unsuccessful in obtaining the vehicles that they sought from the victims,” Harris said.
“One could only imagine the trauma that a victim would go through being subjected to a robbery like this. These are violent, violent individuals.”
On April 11, two suspects were arrested.
Investigators identified a hotel room in Mississauga that the suspects were “linked to” and executed a search warrant on the unit and four vehicles that were seized, Harris said.
A loaded modified fully automatic firearm was also seized, along with two illegal extended magazines and ammunition, Harris said.
“Also located and seized were victims’ identification and property, vehicle keys from the carjacking incidents, clothing worn during the robberies, and a vehicle key reprogramming device,” Harris said.
Toronto resident Merrick Beddaoui, 22, and Christopher Ugochukwu, 19, have been charged with a number of offences including robbery with a firearm, 18 counts each of robbery, and 17 counts each of disguise with intent.
Two women “associated to the hotel room” were also arrested and charged with various firearm offences.
Harris noted that there has been an increase in car thefts and carjackings recently.
“We remain steadfast in our resolve and continue to investigate these things to the fullest extent in order to bring people before the courts,” he said.
He also said that the Project Tyga investigation is ongoing and they are looking for “some outstanding people.”