Two teens are among three suspects who have been linked to a group that Toronto police say attacked and robbed victims selling items online.
Supt. Paul Krawczyk, of 43 Division, told reporters Thursday that the investigation into the group began back in July when a victim arranged to sell their luxury watch to a person they were communicating with on an online marketplace.
When they arrived at the meet-up spot near Ellesmere Road and Bellamy Road North to complete the transaction, Krawczyk said the victim was ambushed by several suspects. The victim, he said, was assaulted with crowbars and sustained serious injuries.
The suspects fled the area with the watch, Krawczyk said.
Officers investigating the incident later identified a group believed to be responsible for similar robberies, he noted.
Krawczyk said investigators learned of another meeting that had been arranged for the sale of a luxury watch on Oct. 9.
Police attended to meet-up and located two teenage suspects who had arrived in a stolen car with stolen plates.
One of the suspects, he said, was found in possession of a firearm with a prohibited, extended magazine.
“Of particular concern, both were already subject to conditions prohibiting them from possessing firearms,” Krawczyk said.
The teens cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Search warrants were executed in Toronto the following day, he added, leading to the arrest of another suspect, identified by police as 18-year-old Desmond Okuonhae, of Toronto.
Okuonhae, he said, was subsequently linked to two other robberies in March and April. Those robberies, Krawczyk said, involved the theft of a laptop and four rare Pokemon trading cards worth more than $80,000.
“We believe there may be additional victims who were approached or targeted through online marketplaces,” Krawczyk said.
According to police, Okuonhae is alleged to have used other aliases, including Oscar Morkil, Max Smith, and Omar Clarkson.
