A brazen and violent carjacking in broad daylight in Milton, Ont., was captured on video. The car’s owner was dragged out of her vehicle and thrown to the ground before the thieves took off.
The robbery happened on Tuesday morning around 9:40 a.m. in a busy plaza off of Thompson Road South and Louis St. Laurent Avenue, according to the Halton Regional Police Service. The plaza is typically busy, featuring several takeaway restaurants, such as Starbucks, and a Metro.
The video shows the victim, a woman in her 50s, seated on the driver’s side of her Honda CR-V before two men smash into the side of her vehicle. They smash the window, open the door and forcibly remove her from the car.
“This is a shocking and violent crime that put the lives of many Milton residents at risk. We are dedicating all available resources and will relentlessly pursue those responsible and hold them accountable,” says 1 District Supt. Dave Stewart.
The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and remains shaken up, according to police. They also recovered the Honda CR-V later that day in Brampton, but the suspects remain at large.
The original vehicle the suspects were seen driving, a white 2014 Ford F-250, had been stolen in Peel Region dating back to Jan. 7.
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The brazen crime didn’t start just with the carjacking, according to police.
The stolen white pickup was also seen driving through a fence at Pineview Public School and into a playground where kids were playing. It was then seen driving erratically around Derry Road and Holly Avenue, less than two kilometres from the carjacking. Police had attempted to stop the vehicle before the carjacking.
“There was a brief police chase, as we attempted to stop the vehicle. We terminated the pursuit due to the amount of traffic on the road at the time and the time of day,” said Const. Steve Elms.
The same vehicle was reportedly involved in two hit-and-run collisions in Milton, including a gas drive-off just minutes before the carjacking. The incidents all happened within a short period, according to police.
“It’s all very alarming, given the time of day, given the short period of time this happened. This all happened 15-20 minutes early in the morning,” said Elms.
Police have released information on the suspects. One is approximately six feet two inches tall with a thin build, seen wearing a grey sweater, while the second is believed to be in his late 20s, clean-shaven and wearing a dark-coloured hoodie.
Just a little while after the carjacking, Glenn O’Brien saw the aftermath in the plaza. He described parts of the vehicle covering the parking lot and a significant police presence but didn’t think more of it.
“It’s crazy that people would have that gall. When we first saw it we thought it might have been a hit and run,” he said. “It’s terrible the things are doing.”
A day later, O’Brien, now at the crime scene, said that during his 17 years of living in Milton, he hadn’t seen a crime of this nature in the township.
“It’s almost like being in town, like in Toronto, and you’re in a little town like this you normally don’t see stuff like this, but it makes you wonder,” he said.
His sentiments and concern are shared by Maria Hiemer, who lives just down the street from the Metro, which she regularly frequents.
“It scares me, it’s really scary that broad daylight on top of it. I don’t know what the world is coming to,” she said.
Hiemer was accompanied by one of her adult children, who she said wouldn’t let her go to the grocery store alone following Tuesday’s carjacking. She added that the incident has her concerned about her day-to-day safety in the township.
“Where are they going to stop? They’re going to stop at nothing. It’s just a woman minding her everyday business and getting groceries,” she said.
Leona Christie has called Milton home for 52 years and admitted there were some nerves coming to do her regular grocery run.
“I was a little bit nervous coming here, but I think everyone is watching now,” said Christie. “I think Milton’s always been a safe place. I was a little upset about crime happening in Milton, it’s a small town.”
Elms said people caught in a carjacking should try not to escalate the situation.
“Comply with demands, don’t fight back, call the police immediately,” he said.
As for bystanders, Elms noted it’s a tricky situation to be caught in, but sometimes the best thing you can do is record what’s going on from a safe distance.
“It’s good that those videos capture suspect descriptions, licence plates, that sort of thing, but as soon as the situation is deemed safe, I would urge people to render help,” Elms said.
Halton regional police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident, knows the two men or has dashcam footage to get in touch.
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