

Chris Herhalt, CP24.com





Six youths, including a 12-year-old girl, and three adults face numerous charges after two machine pistols and a high-capacity magazine were found during a search of a home in Scarborough’s L’Amoreaux neighbourhood on Tuesday.

Toronto police say they executed a search warrant on a home in the area of Victoria Park Avenue and Finch Avenue East.

Det. Sgt. Gerald Heaney says the search was related to an investigation into the theft of a vehicle and the robbery of a person’s clothing that began in the Victoria Park and Lawrence avenues area of Scarborough and ended up in the Victoria Park and Finch avenues area last Wednesday.

One of the suspects in that offence was a male under the age of 18 who lived at the home that was searched.

Heaney said officers entered the home and secured the premises. While police were searching the home, the young male they were seeking came home.

He reportedly fled the scene on foot once he realized officers were near.

Heaney said that after a short chase, a suspect was arrested.

He was searched and officers allegedly found a loaded JR Carbine .45 calibre semi-automatic machine pistol on his person.

“It’s a frightening ordeal,” Heaney said.

After searching the rest of the home, police allegedly found another AB Arms ASR 9mm semi-automatic machine pistol and a high-capacity 50 round drum magazine along with 88 rounds of ammunition.

Investigators also allege the serial numbers on both guns have been tampered with. Police are currently testing the guns to see if they were modified to allow for fully-automatic fire.

Eight others in the home were arrested and charged in relation to the guns “based on the location and proximity and availability” of the guns to each person, Heaney said. He added that the guns were “in an area accessible to every single person in the house.”

“It was something that was of total surprise to us and quite scary when you see the photographs of the weapons that were seized,” Heaney said.

He added that if investigators would have known about the firearms in the home, they would have brought along emergency task force officers, who are more heavily armed and armoured.

Neighbours in the area of the townhouse that was raided told CTV News Toronto that police hit the unit at night.

Six youths, ranging in age from 12 to 17 years-old were arrested and charged. They cannot be identified as per the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Three adults, an 18-year-old man, a 24-year-old woman and a 39-year-old woman were also taken into custody.

Police said the 39-year-old woman is a relative to all six youths who have been charged.

Heaney said it is increasingly common for young people to be found to have easy access to firearms like the ones seized on Tuesday.

All nine accused face a combined total of 111 offences related to firearms possession as well as possession of stolen property.

The three adults appeared in court at College Park on Wednesday morning, while the youths appeared at 1911 Eglinton Avenue East to answer to the charges.

The three adults were remanded into custody and will appear in court again on Thursday morning at College Park.

All six young people, including the 12-year-old girl, were remanded into custody and will appear in court at 1911 Eglinton Avenue East at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-4200, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477 (TIPS).