Peel police have arrested an 18-year-old woman in connection with a brazen car theft in Mississauga earlier this month, where a man was struck with the stolen vehicle before the suspect┬аfled.
Police said the incident happened on Sept. 6 around 2 p.m. near Winston Churchill and Eglinton Avenue.
The woman visited the victim’s residence after responding to an AutoTrader advertisement, police said in a news release Friday.
Earlier this week, police released a security camera video showing a┬аwoman reversing rapidly over the victim while viewing his Porsche Cayenne, before fleeing with the stolen vehicle.┬а
The woman turned herself into police on Thursday, the news release said. She was held in custody before a bail hearing scheduled for Friday.┬а
Police said the Porsche has been recovered.┬а
Peel police have made an arrest in connection with a car theft that occurred in Mississauga earlier this month, where they say a man was struck with the stolen vehicle before the suspect fled. CBCтАЩs Tyler Cheese has the details.
The 18-year-old has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation causing bodily harm and failure to remain after an accident causing bodily harm.┬а
The accused has also been charged for driving without a licence, police said.┬а
Police said she has previously been charged with other fraud-related offences in Peel Region and is wanted by other police services in the Greater Toronto Area for separate investigations.┬а
They added they anticipate making additional arrests in this auto theft investigation.┬а
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact investigators or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.┬а
Police advise using safety zones for online purchases
In Friday’s news release, Peel police advised people to be vigilant when selling items online.┬а
They also encouraged people to use designated parking spaces at police divisions, which are monitored by security cameras, when buying, selling or trading property online.┬а┬а
The parking spaces, called Buy and Sell Safe Exchange Zones, aim to “reduce crime by giving people a safer place to meet when making transactions with strangers,” according to the Peel police website.┬а
“Whether you’re buying or selling collectibles, including vehicles, there are violent crimes going up,” said Peel police Const. Moulika Sharma.┬а
“We want our community to utilize the safe place to make sure that there is no crime, and for their safety as well.”┬а
There are three designated safe zones in Mississauga and two zones in Brampton.┬а
Conduct transactions online, not in┬аcash: police
Sharma said people are advised to conduct transactions during the day and to inform a family member or friend about where you’re going beforehand.┬а
As well, people are advised to exchange money through online transactions, rather than cash, as e-transfers are easier for police to track, Sharma said.┬а┬а
At an auto-theft summit this March, Peel Region was dubbed the “auto theft capital of Canada.”┬а
In an email to CBC News on Friday, a spokesperson for┬аAutoTrader said it was aware of the alleged auto theft in Mississauga.
“This is a concern we take seriously and [we] are committed to supporting local law enforcement as needed with their investigation,” the email says.
The most recent statistics from Peel police show there were 3,316 vehicles stolen from Jan. 1 to May 31, down from 3,580 during the same time period in 2023. Last year, the region saw 8,322 thefts in total.┬а
Safety tips from AutoTrader and Peel police┬а
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Conduct transactions during the day in public locations.
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Verify identifies before meeting in-person, such as by requesting proof of a valid-driver’s licence.
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Inform a family member or friend about where you’re going for an in-person meeting.
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Always trust your instincts when interacting with a potential buyer or a seller.
