The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has made three arrests and laid multiple charges after an attempted theft of a vehicle in Oakville.
On Saturday January 8, 2022 just before 12:00 am police were contacted by an alert Oakville resident who observed a male suspect in the driveway of their home examining a Lexus SUV.
Police attended the area and made multiple arrests in connection to the investigation.
Gustavo Salazar (22) of Anjou QC, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos (21) of Laval QC, and Alexandre Doyon (21) or Montreal QC have all been charged with the following:
Theft over $5000
Possession of an Automobile Master Key
Possession of Break-In Instruments
All three suspects were held in custody pending a bail hearing.
During the past year, the HRPS has seen a large volume of theft of high end sport utility vehicles. Suspects have used a relay or reprogramming methods to steal these vehicles, often using blank key fobs or automobile master keys.
During a reprograming theft, the suspect(s) forcefully gains entry to the vehicle. Once inside, the suspect(s) access the diagnostic port of the vehicle which allows them to reprogram a blank key fab to start and steal the vehicle.
The majority of vehicles being targeted include (but are not limited to):
Honda CRV
Lexus RX 350
Toyota Highlander
Ford F150
There are some measures that residents can take to decrease the chance of the vehicle being stolen:
Park your vehicle in a locked garage
Block the exit of a potential target vehicle with a second vehicle parked behind it
Install and on-board diagnostic blocker/protector
Install a steering wheel lock device
Install a aftermarket GPS tracking device
Install home security cameras on the exterior of the residence
Additional Tips:
Always lock vehicle doors and close all windows
With the colder weather approaching never leave your vehicle running with the keys in the vehicle
Never leave a spare key inside any vehicle in the driveway
Ignition/Fuel Kill switches
Aftermarket car audio alarm
The HRPS is applying significant resources to investigate these occurrences. Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. Call 911 if you witness a crime in progress or if you see suspicious persons/vehicles in your neighbourhood.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2216
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