Five people have been charged after the theft of several high-end vehicles, as car dealerships continue to be the target of thieves in the London area.
The London Police Service said a Porsche dealership located on Oxford Street West was broken into on Saturday at around 6:30 a.m. Multiple thieves made off with four vehicles and key fobs.
A similar incident occurred on Sunday at around 4:30 a.m. when a Mercedes Benz dealership on Southdale Road East was broken into. However, shortly after gaining entry, the would-be thieves fled empty-handed as security officers arrived at the dealership.
At around 5:20 a.m., London police and security spotted and chased down a suspect who was then arrested. No other suspects were found.
Following an investigation, London police responded to the area of Oxford Street and Hyde Park Road where officers located one of the stolen Porches. However, when the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the occupants took off on foot. Officers were led on a chase through the Oakridge area before five male suspects were arrested.
One of the suspects was the same individual arrested by police the day before.
Two of the suspects were arrested with the help of the canine unit and had to be treated in hospital for minor injuries. They have since been discharged into police custody.
“This was an example of dedicated and tireless police work and collective teamwork amongst members of our police service, private security and the community,” said Detective Sergeant Ryan Scrivens. “With the isolation orders in place, we have dozens of good Samaritans peering out of the windows of their homes at all times of the day, and that continual flow of information is extremely helpful. It is gratifying to be a part of such an interesting case, and despite these unusual times, Londoners have demonstrated their ability to rise to the occasion.”
Natnael Teklu, 20, Mawlid Ibrahim Essa, 25, Musie Yirgel Ghebremichael, 25, Ahmed Yasin, 21, Jonathan Gebreliul, 19, all from the Kitchener-Waterloo area, are charged with one count each of possession of property obtained by crime over $5000.
Teklu is additionally charged with break and enter with intent and failure to comply with an undertaking.
Essa is also charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and operation while prohibited. Ghebremichael is charged with one count of failure to comply with release order.
Yasin is additionally charged with one count of public mischief to divert suspicion from self or cause another to be suspected.
A Porsche, valued at $65,000, and three Porsche key fobs have been recovered by police. They search continues for three other stolen Porsches - a 2020 black Panamra with Ontario plates CDNZ126, a 2019 black Cayenne with Ontario plates CKMJ257, and a 2019 blue Cayenne with Ontario plates CFTE979. The combined value of the three missing vehicles is $332,000.
The investigation into the thefts is ongoing and police are looking into whether the incidents over the weekend are connected to other similar car dealership thefts that have taken place in the London community.
A joint investigation conducted by the London Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police led to multiple arrests and vehicle seizures on April 30. The investigation into the car theft ring began after thieves stole vehicles, keys and documents from several dealerships in the city of London and the County of Middlesex between April 24 and April 29.
Anyone with information regarding any of these incidents is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent in online anonymously to www.londoncrimestoppers.com.
