Three men are facing charges following two armed home invasions on the same street in Vaughan earlier this month.
York Regional Police say investigators launched an investigation, dubbed Project Timer, after two homes on Timber Creek Boulevard, near Major Mackenzie Drive and Highway 27, were broken into on Aug. 31 and Sept. 10.
In the August incident, doorbell camera footage captured three people approaching a home at around 2:20 a.m.
The video then appears to show one of the suspects holding a handgun and using the butt of that weapon to strike a small window around the home’s front door. He eventually succeeds in breaking the glass and is seen reaching inside to unlock it.
At this time, the home’s occupants can be heard loudly screaming for the intruders to “get out of here” moments before they’re seen entering the dwelling. Police said there were two adults and two children, ages six and nine, in the home at that time.
None of the residents sustained any physical injuries.
The three suspects fled into a waiting dark-coloured SUV.
That home invasion occurred about 90 minutes after another one in the same Kleinberg neighbourhood that claimed the life of Aleem Farooqi, a 46-year-old father of four.
“Right now, there is no connection known to us between the home invasion on August 31 and the homicide of Mr. Farooqi,” Sgt. Ryan Boulay, of York Regional Police, told CP24 in an interview on Wednesday.
In the September home invasion, video footage captured a male suspect walking towards the front door and hit the glass side panel with an axe at around 2:30 a.m.
After breaking glass, he then puts his arm through the hole to open the front door. He and three other suspects enter the home.
The video then jumps to when all four run out of the residence to a waiting black SUV, which police believe is the the same one as at the Aug. 31 home invasion, and drive away.
Police said the suspects demanded property from the occupants but were unsuccessful.
No injuries were reported.
In a news release on Wednesday, police said investigators located the suspect vehicle in the area of Yorkleigh Avenue and Scarlett Road in Toronto on Sept. 16. Five occupants were seen exiting the vehicle and were allegedly “preparing to commit a home invasion” when officers interrupted them.
Three suspects were arrested in the backyard of the home, while two others fled. A loaded firearm was also seized at the scene.
Investigators determined the SUV was stolen from Toronto.
Zachary Boyce, 22, of no fixed address; Jacoy Montegue, 21, of Toronto; and Jaykell Watson, 22, of Ajax, are facing numerous charges, including robbery with a firearm and possession of a loaded, prohibited firearm among others.
Following their arrests, police said a search warrant was executed at a residence in Ajax, resulting in Watson also facing drug-related charges.
Investigators believe the trio are associated with other incidents around the Greater Toronto Area.
Police have no description for the two remaining suspects.
“We are seeing a bit of an uptick in these types of incidents,” Boulay said. “These offenders are after something for monetary gain, and that appears to be what the motive is behind these incidents.”
“Hopefully, it’s a little bit of relief to the residents out there that these offenders were taken into custody... there are two suspects that we believe are outstanding and the investigation will continue until we identify those offenders.”
Anyone with further information is asked to contact police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
With files from CP24’s Joanna Lavoie and Bryann Aguilar
