The Toronto Police Service Hold Up Squad would like to make the public aware of two arrests in relation to a carjacking spree and retail robbery investigation.
Between Sunday, May 15, 2022 and Thursday, May 26, 2022, police responded to 10 carjacking robberies and a related retail robbery that occurred in the Toronto and Durham Region areas.
It is alleged that:
- during the carjacking incidents, a male suspect while armed with a handgun, would approach the victim while making a demand for their car keys
- at least one other male suspect would wait nearby in a getaway car
- in five of the incidents the suspects were successful in taking the victims vehicles
- when successful, the suspects would then flee the scenes in the stolen cars
It is further alleged that:
- during the retail robbery incident, a male suspect entered the premise while pointing a handgun at the employees and making a demand for cash and fireworks
- at least one other male suspect was waiting outside in a getaway car
- the suspect with the handgun took the cash and then forced the employees to load fireworks into the getaway car
- the suspects then fled the scene in the getaway car
Members of the Toronto Police Hold Up Squad began an investigation dubbed Project ZigZag and were able to identify the suspects. All the vehicles were also successfully recovered.
On Thursday, June 2, 2022, officers from the Toronto Police Service located two suspects and took them into custody.
Tyliq Jones, 19, of Brampton, was arrested and charged with:
- 11 counts of Robbery with Firearm
- 11 counts of Disguise with Intent
- Unauthorized Possession of Firearm
- Possession of Firearm Knowing it’s Possession is Unauthorized
- Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle
- Possession Restricted Firearm with Ammunition
- Possession of Firearm Obtained by Crime
- Possession of Firearm Knowing it’s Serial Number Has Been Tampered With
- Carry Concealed Weapon
- four counts of Possession Property Obtained by Crime
- 11 counts of Fail to Comply with Disposition Y.C.J.A.
He appeared in court on Friday, June 3, 2022, at the Toronto North Court, 1000 Finch Avenue West, 10 a.m., room 306.
A 17-year-old boy, of Toronto, was also arrested and charged with:
- 11 counts of Robbery With Firearm
- 11 counts of Disguise with Intent
- Unauthorized Possession of Firearm
- Possession of Firearm Knowing it’s Possession is Unauthorized
- Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle
- Possession Restricted Firearm with Ammunition
- Possession of Firearm Obtained by Crime
- Possession of Firearm Knowing it’s Serial Number Has Been Tampered With
- Carry Concealed Weapon
- four counts of Possession Property Obtained by Crime
- 11 counts of Fail to Comply with Disposition Y.C.J.A.
- 12 counts of Fail to Comply Recognizance
He appeared in court on Friday, June 3, 2022, at the Toronto West Court, 2201 Finch Avenue West, 10 a.m., room 206.
***Please refer to Section 110, Subsection 1, of the Y.C.J.A.:
110. (1) Subject to this section, no person shall publish the name of a young person, or any other information related to a young person, if it would identify the young person as a young person dealt with under this Act.***
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.
As a result of the increase in carjacking incidents across the Greater Toronto Area, local police services have combined resources and established a task force to further co-ordinate law enforcement efforts in combating these crimes. Carjackings are often violent and affect the larger community, as well as the victims involved. This collaborative approach targets the criminals committing carjackings as well as the organized criminal groups behind them.
Participating services include York Regional Police, the Toronto Police Service, Peel Regional Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Durham Regional Police Service and the Halton Regional Police Service, supported by Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.