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3 teen boys arrested after multiple 'violent' robberies in Brampton: police

Three teenage boys are facing kidnapping and robbery charges after multiple "violent" robberies in Brampton in a case of what police are calling social media luring. 

Peel police have charged 5 people so far

A Peel Regional Police shoulder patch is seen in Mississauga on July 1, 2023.
Peel Regional Police arrested 3 teen boys and issued an arrest warrant for fourth person in connection with multiple robberies in Brampton. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press)

Three teenage boys are facing kidnapping and robbery charges after multiple "violent" robberies in Brampton in a case of what police are calling targeted social media luring. 

In three separate incidents between April and May, suspects arranged in-person meetings with victims under false pretences through social media and allegedly robbed them at gunpoint, Peel police said on Wednesday.

"These incidents disproportionately were targeted toward members of the South Asian community and, more specifically, members of the South Asian community that were also part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community," said Const. Tyler Bell, spokesperson for Peel Police. 

He said the suspects portrayed themselves as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to create a sense of trust for victims.

Police are reminding people to exercise caution when meeting people through online interactions and are urging any other victims to come forward.

"We're going to provide a safe environment for victims to come forward and report to us and protect their identity and their well-being," said Bell.

He added suspects mostly communicated with victims through Snapchat, but that other social media platforms could also be in use.

Police initially arrested two suspects in relation to the robberies in May. The latest arrests bring the total to five, and police say there is one suspect outstanding. Police say an arrest warrant has been issued.

An 18-year-old from Brampton, as well as two boys aged 16 and 17, have been charged with two counts of kidnapping and three counts of robbery, the police release says.

Bell said the investigation is "still very active" and police could potentially identify more offenders and charges with time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arrthy Thayaparan is a Toronto-based multimedia journalist. She's interested in health, climate and community stories. She has previously worked at Reuters and CBC Vancouver. You can contact her at arrthy.thayaparan@cbc.ca.