Five male youth have been taken into custody after attempting to rob a cell phone store in Ajax.
In recent times, teen crime in Durham has been on the rise (see below) with – in one case – a 12-year old girl participating in an armed teen gang robbery.
On Monday, November 24, at around 1:20 pm, members of West Division responded to a suspicious person call at the Freedom Mobile located at 235 Bayly Street West. Employees contacted police after seeing five males wearing masks and gloves sitting in a parked vehicle in front of the business.
The suspects attempted to enter the business but were unsuccessful after employees locked the doors, police said.
Officers located the suspect vehicle behind the business and were able to block it, however, all five suspects fled on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, all suspects were taken into custody. The suspect vehicle was determined to be stolen.
The suspects are all teenagers. A 16-year-old male from Mississauga, 15-year-old male from Toronto, a 17-year-old male from Toronto, 17-year-old male from Brampton, and a 16-year-old male from North York
They were charged with robbery, possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, and disguise with intent. All five suspects were held for a bail hearing. Police did not release their names.
Anyone with cellphone, dash cam, surveillance footage or information about this incident is asked to contact the Robbery Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5355.