Teens from Mississauga, Oakville among 12 charged in ‘swarm’ robberies near Canada’s Wonderland
Published July 20, 2022 at 8:23 pm
A dozen teenagers, including from Mississauga and Oakville, have been charged with numerous offenses connected to a series of “swarming” robberies near Canada’s Wonderland.
Throughout June numerous reports have coming in regarding robberies near Jane St and Norwood Ave in Vaughan, including in Canada’s Wonderland.
Each victim claimed their store, plaza or stall was swarmed and robbed by a large group of young people in the evenings both inside the park and on neighbouring sidewalks.
In one of the incidents a man was swarmed by teens who demanded smokes, booze and food. They swarm followed the man to his car and began to kick it. One of the teens entered the car’s back seat and stole the man’s food. When the victim tried to get it back the group attacked him and made off with his wallet.
In response to the string of robberies, York Regional Police launched Operation Beehave. They began to monitor the area on over the Canada Day long weekend with proactive patrols.
Police report these effort have been successful with no other robberies taking place since they began. They plan to continue their operation throughout the summer.
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Their investigation resulted in the arrest to 12 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 from Mississauga, Oakville, Toronto and York Region.
Total charges for the seven Mississauga and Oakville teens include;
- Two Oakville girls, both 14, are charged with robbery
- A Mississauga boy, 13, is charged with robbery, assault and failure to comply with release conditions
- A Mississauga girl, 13, is charged with robbery, failure to comply with an undertaking and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
- A Mississauga girl, 14, is charged with robbery and assault
- A Mississauga girl, 16, is also charged with robbery and assault, and finally
- A Mississauga boy, 16 is charged with robbery, two counts of assault, and four counts of fraud under $5,000
Two teens from Toronto, 14 and 17 also face charges, as do a 13-year-old from Markham and a 15-year-old from East Gwillimbury.
“Parents are encouraged to speak with their children about the personal safety when unsupervised and the consequences, such as criminal charges, should they be involved in a swarming,” YRP said in a release.
They are also asking any witness or victims who have not yet come forward to contact police. Investigators are continuing to gather security footage from Canada’s Wonderland security, community members and business owners.
York Regional Police have issued the following advice for residents to avoid these kind of crime;
- Trust your instincts and be aware of your surroundings
- If you suspect you are being followed, call 9-1-1
- If you are approached by thieves, try to remain calm and comply. Don’t fight back
- Head to a safe location and call 9-1-1 as soon as possible
- Try to note characteristics of the robber, surfaces touched, any weapon description and direction they fled
As they continue to investigate officers expect more arrests to come.
Anyone with information can call York Regional Police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7445 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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