

Kayla Goodfield, CP24.com





About 160 break-and-enters in North York’s Bridle Path area has led to millions of dollars’ worth of valuables being stolen since the beginning of the year, Toronto police said.

The break-and-enters have been taking place in the area surrounded by Highway 401, Leslie Street, Lawrence Avenue, and Bayview Avenue.

One of the incidents, which happened last week, was captured on surveillance video. It shows two men climbing up onto a balcony before entering a home in the area. The pair is seen using the homeowner’s backyard patio furniture to hoist themselves into the home. In this incident, police allege about $50,000 worth of valuables were taken.

Speaking with CTV News Toronto on Monday, Det. Const. Janna Senyk said suspects are entering these homes on the second floor as they are most likely not equipped with alarms.

“Most people don’t have alarms on second storey doors and windows and a lot of residents tend to leave their second storey windows open thinking they’re safe and secure,” Senyk said.

Senyk said another home in the same area was broken into on Sunday night.

“This was in the Bridle Path area and it was a gated house,” she said. “And there was an entry made, and it was a second storey entry and we believe the perpetrators used a ladder to get to the second floor.”

In this alleged incident, police said the thieves were able to get away with about a $100,000 in valuables.

The homeowner of one of the targeted properties, Aaron Chuang, told CTV News Toronto on Monday that he feels unsafe knowing that there has been a rash of break-ins in his area.

“It was in April of this year when everybody was out of the house and my son came home and found a big mess, so he went into the kitchen and saw the glass window broken, so he called me and told me what happened,” he said. “Since then we’ve added more cameras and we’re more careful in terms of making sure we (turn on) the alarm before we leave the house and monitor whoever comes through the front door.”

No suspect descriptions have been released in connection with any of these incidents.

Toronto police has reminded homeowners to be vigilant about keeping their second storey doors and windows locked.