Police are investigating after three separate carjacking incidents within hours in Toronto.
Toronto police told Global News the three incidents “appear” to be linked but investigations are ongoing to determine if this is the case. The manner of the car thefts and descriptions of suspects were similar, police said.
The first took place near Bayview Subway Station around 4:27 p.m., police said.
Police said that two people pulled up in separate cars, one allegedly armed with a handgun, and stole a white Lexus.
In a tweet, Toronto police said a second incident occurred in the Sheppard Avenue East and Ecopark Gate area just before 5:30 p.m.
A black Toyota Rav 4 was taken.
Officers said the suspects fled in both cars.
Then, around 6:19 p.m., Toronto police said two suspects, one with a gun, drove up to a man and stole his car in the Sheppard Avenue and Massie Street area.
They fled in both cars, police said.
The spree comes as a string of armed carjackings have been reported around the GTA.
At least two other incidents have been reported in three days, including one incident involving a vehicle belonging to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Toronto police said they had investigated at least 60 carjacking incidents in 2022 alone.
Police said that marks a significant increase over 2021, when 59 incidents were reported in the entire calendar year