Police have arrested three people in connection with a series of violent robberies at cell phone stores that occurred in the Greater Toronto Area this winter.
Police say a total of eleven robberies took place in Toronto, Durham Region and York Region between Jan. 8 and Feb. 27.
They say that in each of the robberies, two men entered the store and threatened and assaulted employees while demanding access to a safe where cellphones were stored.
The men would then flee the stores with a quantity of mobile phones, according to the police. In some cases, they left the area in stolen vehicles.
Following the wave of robberies, the Toronto Police Service’s Assault Squad launched a multi-jurisdictional investigation in conjunction with their counterparts in Durham and York Regions.
This investigation ultimately led to the execution of three search warrants at addresses in Toronto and the arrest of two men and one woman.
Police say that while executing those search warrants, officers recovered some of the stolen cell phones, as well as keys to several stolen vehicles.
They say they also seized clothing worn by the suspects during some of the robberies.
Junior Hazzard, 22, of Toronto, and Keshawn Fleming, 20, of Toronto face 87 combined charges, including multiple counts of robbery and motor vehicle theft.
Police have also charged 37-year-old Toronto resident Sandy Bowen with two counts of possession of property obtained by crime.