Investigation into attempted Oakville auto theft leads to arrest of three Quebec men

Oakville | Halton | Latest News |

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Published January 12, 2022 at 4:09 pm

Three men from Quebec are facing multiple charges after trying to steal a car in Oakville last Saturday (Jan. 8).

Halton Regional Police arrested the three men after being contacted just before midnight by an alert Oakville resident who saw a male suspect in the driveway of their home examining a Lexus SUV.

Police responded to the area and made multiple arrests in connection to the investigation.

Gustavo Salazar, 22, of Anjou QC, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos, 21, of Laval QC, and Alexandre Doyon, 21, of Montreal QC have all been charged with the following:

  • Theft over $5000
  • Possession of an Automobile Master Key
  • Possession of Break-In Instruments

The three suspects were held in custody pending a bail hearing.

During the past year, Halton Police have seen a large volume of theft of high-end sport utility vehicles.

The suspects use relay or reprogramming methods to steal the vehicles, including using blank key fobs or automobile master keys.

During a reprograming theft, the suspect(s) forcefully gains entry to the vehicle. Once inside, the suspect(s) access the diagnostic port of the vehicle which allows them to reprogram a blank key fab to start and steal the vehicle.

The majority of vehicles being targeted include (but are not limited to):

  • Honda CRV
  • Lexus RX 350
  • Toyota Highlander
  • Ford F150

There are some measures that residents can take to decrease the chance of the vehicle being stolen:

  • Park your vehicle in a locked garage
  • Block the exit of a potential target vehicle with a second vehicle parked behind it
  • Install and on-board diagnostic blocker/protector
  • Install a steering wheel lock device
  • Install a aftermarket GPS tracking device
  • Install home security cameras on the exterior of the residence

Additional Tips:

  • Always lock vehicle doors and close all windows
  • With the colder weather approaching never leave your vehicle running with the keys in the vehicle
  • Never leave a spare key inside any vehicle in the driveway
  • Ignition/Fuel Kill switches
  • Aftermarket car audio alarm

The HRPS is applying significant resources to investigate these occurrences. Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. Call 911 if you witness a crime in progress or if you see suspicious persons/vehicles in your neighbourhood.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777, ext. 2216.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

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