Two men from Quebec have been charged with auto theft following a traffic stop in Oakville.
On Tuesday, at about 10:30 a.m., an officer with Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) pulled over an Audi sedan near Neyagawa Boulevard and Gardenbrook Avenue, north of Dundas Street West.
Police said during the stop, the officer took note of “suspicious items such as balaclavas, gloves and tools,” which resulted in additional surveillance on the vehicle.
Investigators said they observed the suspects drive the vehicle to a hotel in Mississauga where its two male occupants retrieved a Toyota Tundra. Halton police say that vehicle was previously reported stolen out of Toronto.
They said one of the men then drove the Toyota to a new location, while the second followed in the Audi.
It was at that second location that HRPS arrested the two suspects.
Luca Lacroix, 21, of Saint-Hubert, Que., and Teddy Sanon, 22, of Montreal, Que., have both been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and possession of break and enter instruments.
Lacroix was also wanted by police in Quebec for breaching conditions related to his release, HRPS said.
They were both held in custody pending a bail hearing.
“As I continue to watch our officers make many arrests of individuals with stolen vehicles, often from the province of Quebec, and tied to organized crime and exports at the port of Montreal, it astonishes me that this continues to be an issue at the rate that it does. Far too many of our citizens have suffered from auto theft, home invasions and violence, all so these individuals and organized crime groups could profit,” HRPS Chief Stephen Tanner said in a news release.
Tanner noted that one of the accused has been previously charged for “stolen vehicle offences” and is also wanted by authorities in Quebec.
“Obviously, the profits of this crime outweigh any deterrence from our justice system. I continue to hope that the federal government will look at stricter laws around auto theft, and the other offences which put our frontline officers and citizens in harm’s way. Thankfully, the province, the Ontario Provincial Police and many municipal police services have worked together to target this crime that continues to be an epidemic,” he said.
This investigation is ongoing and more charges could follow, police said.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact HRPS at 905-825-4777, ext. 2216, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
