Toronto police arrested a suspect in a couple of brazen car thefts earlier this week.
The incidents took place in the Leslieville and Port Lands neighborhoods for several hours on Monday.
Police say that in the first incident, the victim stopped his car in the area and left the door open while standing nearby. Police say the suspect ran to the car and got into the driver’s seat. He then showed a pistol tucked into his belt and threatened the victim before leaving in the stolen car, police said.
The second incident happened just hours later.
Police say two people were involved in some sort of road accident and at one point they both got out of their cars and started arguing.
At the same time, the suspect in the first incident passed the stolen car and stopped nearby.
Police say he dumped the stolen vehicle and crashed into one of the stopped cars before driving away with the newly stolen car, missing both faces on the road.
Police say uniformed officers from the 51st Division “reacted quickly” after the second alleged car theft and were able to spot a suspect moving around the area.
Eventually, the car stopped in a parking lot and officers were arrested after a brief chase, police said.
Ervis Tartari, 41, of Toronto, faces a dozen charges, including gun robbery.
This is just the latest arrest made in connection with car thefts committed in the city this spring.
Last week, police filed dozens of charges against a 19-year-old Toronto man and his alleged teenage accomplice in a series of car thefts in Scarborough and the Durham region.
Police are still investigating a number of other high-profile car thefts, including one in which Maple Leaf star Mitch Marner was robbed by his Range Rover in front of the Etobicoke movie theater.
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