Quartet of teens charged after Acuras stolen from Niagara and Peel tracked to Kitchener, police say

Tracking a pair of stolen Aucras from the Niagara and Peel regions has led to charges for a quartet of Ontario teens, including drug trafficking offences.

The arrests happened earlier this month when officers with the Waterloo Regional Police spotted a pair of Acura TLXs that had previously been reported stolen, police said.

One of the Acuras was stolen from Peel region while the other was taken in the Niagara area, investigators said.

Police say they found the first stolen ride around 5 p.m. on Nov. 7 when officers witnessed two male suspects “attending a stolen Acura occupied by a third female suspect.”

That’s when one of the male suspects tried to make an escape with officers chasing the teen down on foot, police said.

The three suspects, all between the ages of 17 and 18, were arrested and police say they found “a large quantity of suspected cocaine” and a reprogrammed vehicle key during the search.

Hours later, police say they located the second stolen Acura on Lancaster Street West. A fourth suspect was arrested and police said another reprogrammed vehicle key was also seized in the second bust.

Police say a total of four teens were arrested during the investigation.

Two 17-year-old males, one from Kitchener, and one from Hamilton, an 18-year-old male and an 18-year-old female, both of Kitchener, have been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, Waterloo Regional Police say.

The 17-year-old male from Hamilton was also charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, while the 18-year-old male was also charged with failure to comply with undertaking. Both were held in police custody for bail hearings.

Here are some tips from police that can help prevent reprogramming thefts:

• Block access to the onboard diagnostic port to prevent thieves from reprogramming the vehicle’s key fob (a simple device can be purchased online).
• Use a steering wheel locking device to deter theft.
• When not in use, place the vehicle key fob inside a radio frequency shielding bag/pouch to block cell signals.
• Consider equipping your vehicle with an aftermarket Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker. The tracker may assist police in locating the vehicle or suspects.
• Ensure all keys are accounted for and never left in the vehicle or unattended.

Anyone with information about this incident can contact the OPP by calling 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips may also be provided to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or visiting www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

When you contact Crime Stoppers you stay anonymous, never have to testify, and could receive a $2,000 reward.