A 27-year-old man from Wellington County is facing a slew of charges after police say homeowners thwarted his attempt to steal a vehicle in Cambridge late Wednesday night.
Waterloo regional police say on Nov. 20, at around 11:45 p.m., police responded to the area of West River Road and Grand Ridge Drive for reports of an attempt vehicle theft.
A suspect was allegedly attempting to steal a newer Toyota vehicle parked in a driveway when they were interrupted by the homeowners. A physical altercation occurred and the suspect was physically restrained until police arrived. Officers arrived and arrested the male.
Through investigation, officers located and seized an automobile master key and vehicle programming equipment and tools.
As a result of the investigation, the man was charged with:
- Robbery
- Attempt vehicle theft
- Disguise with intent
- Possession of device for vehicle theft
- Possession of automobile master key
- Possession of break in instruments
- Breach release order (two counts)
He was also arrested on an outstanding warrant held by another police service.
The accused was held in police custody for a bail hearing.
Police encourage individuals to consider taking the following measures to help prevent these thefts:
- Block the access to the onboard diagnostic port to prevent thieves from reprogramming the vehicle's key fob or purchase an aftermarket immobilizer.
- 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, as organized groups can easily defeat onboard manufacturing tracking. The tracker may assist police in locating the vehicle and/or suspects.
- Consider installing a wired camera system and audible alarm, as subjects are known to carry devices with the ability to jam wireless cameras.
- Ensure all keys are accounted for and never left in the vehicle or unattended.
If you observe suspicious people in your neighbourhood who are looking into vehicles, we encourage you to call police immediately. This will assist investigators in tracking patterns of criminal behaviour and potentially identifying suspects.
A crime in progress can be reported by calling 9-1-1. Any non-emergency incidents can be reported by calling 519-570-9777.
Waterloo Regional Police Service is committed to reducing vehicle theft as a recipient of funding provided by the Ontario Government Preventing Auto Theft Grant.
