Ontario Provincial Police say they have laid charges in connection with a wave of rock-throwing incidents that caused serious injuries in Markham last fall.
Following a months-long investigation, two 18-year-old men from Markham and Richmond Hill were arrested Wednesday and each charged with aggravated assault, two counts of mischief endangering life, and mischief damage to property.
As the incidents occurred when they were under the age of 18, their names are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and cannot be released.
OPP confirmed to Global News that the two arrested are the same two charged by York Regional Police earlier this year for similar offences.
Between Friday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Nov. 30, 2024, Aurora OPP received multiple reports of rocks being deliberately thrown at moving vehicles by a passing vehicle or person.
During the week of Sept. 20, four incidents of rock-throwing at vehicles occurred.
Police said a rock struck a vehicle travelling northbound on Highway 48, just past Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham, damaging the driver’s side-view mirror.
Another three incidents of rocks being thrown at moving vehicles by a passing vehicle or a person were reported, police said, and one of them resulted in a collision.
Police said the driver and the passenger of one of the vehicles was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries from the collision on Highway 48.
In another incident, a rock was thrown at the windshield of a bus travelling on Highway 48, north of Major Mackenzie Drive, but no injuries were reported, police say.
In January, the two faced multiple charges from York Regional Police related to similar incidents.
At the time, police charged the then-17-year-old boy with two counts of mischief under $5,000 and the 18-year-old was also charged with mischief under $5,000.
A police spokesperson told Global News the charges against the pair were in connection with a rock being thrown at a car parked near Neeley and Stalmaster roads in Markham on Jan. 26.
He said the 17-year-old had also been charged with throwing a rock at a moving vehicle near Highway 48 and Hoover Park on July 10, 2024.
The spokesperson said the vehicle was damaged but there were no injuries reported.
Both accused have been released and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario court of justice in Newmarket at a later date.
— with files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues and Kevin Nielsen