Toronto police have arrested 22 male suspects, many of them minors, in connection with a series of 32 cellphone store robberies across the GTA over starting late last year, and are still seeking two more.The arrests follow a six-month investigation into robberies allegedly committed by a group dubbed the Matrix Bandits, Insp. Lauren Pogue of the Toronto police hold-up unit said at a Wednesday news conference.Nine of the 32 robberies are still under investigation, said Poque, and police are seeking two male suspects in connection with them. She released security camera fotage of one of these robberies during the news conference, which can be viewed on the Toronto police YouTube channel.In that case, two males allegedly entered a store near the intersection of Lawrence Ave. W. and Allen Rd. on Feb. 11 and robbed it. The men allegedly assaulted a store employee and an 83-year-old female customer with a baton before fleeing with numerous cellphones, Pogue said.“What’s particularly disturbing about this video is that by all accounts this employee and this customer are complying with all the demands,” said Poque. “It’s an unprovoked assault and entirely unnecessary.”I’m truly hoping that after viewing this video, someone from the community will help us solve this crime,” she said.Police described the two remaining suspects as male, Black, in their mid-20s, and between five-foot-10 and six-foot. One male was wearing a puffy winter coat with a blue, white and red horizontal stripe, and the second was wearing a medium blue puffy jacket.The investigation into the robberies began in December 2018 as a joint effort between York, Peel, Halton and Toronto police. So far it has involved 13 search warrants and resulted in 278 charges relating to 23 cellphone store robberies, two carjackings, a street robbery and seven thefts of vehicles from Toronto, York, Barrie and Halton.During the robberies, groups of between two and five male ...
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