Private advertisement leads to vehicle theft in Oakville
Published March 9, 2021 at 1:17 pm
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect in a recent theft of a Mercedes motor vehicle.
Police say the owner advertised the vehicle for sale online and met with the suspect in Oakville on Monday, March 1, 2021, to discuss a potential sale.
According to police, during this viewing, the suspect drove off with the vehicle without making a payment.
Police say the suspect is described as a male with brown skin in his late 20s to early 30s. He is approximately 5’9” tall, 160 lbs, has a thin build, brown hair and brown eyes, according to police.
The suspect was dropped off by a newer model black-coloured Volkswagen Tiguan, police say.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Omar Nadim of the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2278.
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Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
Police are advising the public to take precautionary measures to reduce the likelihood of having a vehicle stolen after it has been advertised for sale. This includes calling the individual’s phone number, vetting callers and asking potential buyers to send a copy of two pieces of government-issued IDs before meeting and not allow anyone to test drive the vehicle.
Additionally, police advise sellers to not hand over the keys to the vehicle to any prospective buyer, to be aware of someone who arrives on foot or is dropped off to view the vehicle with no other means of leaving and to meet in a public place with a second person accompanying them when meeting with potential buyers.
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