Peel police have released surveillance camera images of a man who stole a defibrillator device from the GO bus terminal at the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga on Friday afternoon.
Police say that the suspect approached a teller at the terminal at around 3:30 p.m. and advised them that a person in the parking lot was in cardiac arrest and required an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
It is alleged that the man then removed the AED from a cabinet beside the ticket booth and left the premises.
According to Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins, the theft was not discovered until the teller had called 911 and first responders “spent a great deal of time trying to find someone ion distress.”
“It concerns us a lot. One, it is an expensive piece of equipment that we now have to urgently replace – it saves lives and that station is now without an AED. The other important consideration is that if it is used inappropriately on someone it can be very dangerous. It is very disturbing that somebody would steal that.”
Aikins said that the AED that was stolen costs about $1,500. She said that one of the devices was also stolen from the Bloor GO station this summer.
“It is very worrisome for sure that people would ever consider stealing an AED,” she said.
Police have described the man as white, unshaven and about 25 years old, with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a white beanie with red writing, a blue backpack, white shoes and a grey coat.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at (905) 453-2121 Ext 1233.
