As temperatures neared the freezing mark in city of Markham, Ont. on Monday, the chilly October night was about to get even chillier.
Hours away from dawn, the darkness of the night helped conceal five criminals, about to commit a harrowing offense.
As the suspects hopped a fence belonging to a residence near Steeles and Grandview avenues, one home occupant lay awake on the second floor.
“I was in China, I came Friday, and I was jet-lagged, so I couldn’t sleep very well,” said the male home owner, who Global News has agreed not to identify due to his fear for safety.
The man soon realized he doesn’t need to be sleeping in order to experience a nightmare.
“I heard the noise like, in the main floor… it’s like (an) explosion,” he told Global News.
That noise was the sound of glass being shattered — specifically the home’s back door.
The owner claims he dialed 911, tossed his phone under a blanket, and walked downstairs.
Within seconds, he’s face to face with five masked individuals, armed with hammers and a knife.
Their demands, said the victim, were very clear.
“They (were) yelling at me: ‘Give me the Ferrari key!’ Give me the Ferrari key! Give me the Ferrari key,’ like 10 times, all of them.”
The terrifying scene played out as his wife and kids hid in a bathroom while on the phone with a 911 operator, who instructed them to lock the door.
Security footage shows five hooded figures hopping the fence of a home in Markham.
Courtesy: York Regional Police
On Wednesday, York Regional Police released the eerie security footage of the home invasion.
The suspects can be seen making off with the owner’s Ferrari and BMW, both of which were recovered later.
Police say they later arrested and charged three teens, aged 15, 16, and 17, with armed robbery.
Two suspects are still outstanding, believed to be between the ages of 15 and 20.
“The fact that these youths would be breaking into a house at four in the morning, when people are sleeping in their beds, armed with hammers. … It’s a different level of excessiveness, and we’ve seen it in a lot of the other home invasions,” said Const. James Dickson.
Police say five suspects, some of whom were armed, forced a man to hand over the keys to his Ferrari and BMW.
Courtesy: York Regional Police
According to Dickson, the number of home invasions under YRP’s jurisdiction has been on a constant climb in recent years, with an 88 per cent increase in incidents just this past year.
A large majority of those home invasions, said Dickson, are for the theft of vehicles — a 46 per cent increase since last year.
The young ages of those involved may not be a coincidence.
“Oftentimes, for this kind of crime, we’re seeing adults that are actually recruiting youths, as they’re less likely to face harsh penalties under the Youth Criminal Justice Act,” Dickson said.
Police say, at the time of the incident, one of the teens involved was on probation, and another was on a release order for a separate offence.
The Markham home owner, who Global News has agreed not to identify, says this is the second time he’s had vehicles stolen from his residence.
Via Marc Cormier / Global News
As the nation struggles to keep up with the lucrative business of auto theft, the moderate penalties faced by youth is just one piece of a complex puzzle, said Hank Idsinga, Global News crime analyst.
The federal and provincial governments’ have been racing to combat ‘re-VINing‘ — the process in which criminals assign a legitimate VIN number to a stolen vehicle, in order to conceal the theft.
Add to that — lack of jail infrastructure, which Idsinga says means some offenders may be released quickly as they await a trial.
“Right now, the jails are overflowing … And there’s a lot of talk about how lax the sentences are and how lax the bail system is.”
Concerns echoed by the Markham home owner, who says he received news Wednesday from authorities in court that two of the suspects charged had apparently been released.
“The government has to do something, not the people. I’m a taxpayer. This is really ridiculous,” he said.
As the man recounts the ordeal, he remains thankful he and his family are safe, although he isn’t sure what the word “safe” means anymore.
“I couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t sleep another night. During midnight, I’m walking in the house, watching the neighbor, watching the backyard, watching outside…Safety is life, and we lost it already.”