Toronto police say members of Ontario’s carjacking task force thwarted a vehicle robbery in Etobicoke on Wednesday.
In a news release, police said officers were called to the area of The Queensway and North Queen Street, near Sherway Gardens, at 10:23 p.m. for a robbery call.
Police said the victim had parked his vehicle in the area when a suspect approached and assaulted him.
The suspect, identified by police as Louie Hodge, 35, of Toronto, allegedly attempted to steal the victim’s vehicle. However, members of the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) arrived on scene and arrested him.
Hodge is charged with robbery and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 in connection with the alleged incident.
Co-led by Toronto police and the OPP, the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) was launched in October in response to what has been described as a rise in violent carjackings in the Greater Toronto Area.
“This collaborative approach aims to disrupt the networks responsible for violent and high-risk auto thefts and maximize enforcement efforts against criminal organizations,” police said in a news release.
Hodge was scheduled to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Thursday.
