Early Sunday morning, three suspects in dark clothing and face coverings broke into the Vaughan home of Abdul Aleem Farooqi in search of 鈥渕onetary gain,鈥 according to police, while he was inside with his family.
A family friend said one of the perpetrators held at least one of the 46-year-old鈥檚 daughters at gunpoint, before fatally shooting the father in front of his family.
鈥淗e was the nicest person I鈥檝e ever met,鈥 a long-time friend told the Star. Farooqi leaves behind four children.聽
Two hours later, at least three masked suspects 鈥 including one armed with what looks like a handgun 鈥 arrived at the front door of another home less than one kilometre away.
Doorbell camera footage released by York Regional Police.
Doorbell camera footage released by police showed one suspect attempting to remove the camera before the gun-wielding perpetrator attempted to smash the window beside the front door. Only after one of the residents started screaming, a dog began barking and an alarm went off did the perpetrators flee the residence.
These are the latest incidents amid a surge in home invasions 鈥 defined as an unlawful entry while residents are home 鈥 across parts of the GTA in recent years.
In 色色啦, 131 home-invasion robberies have been reported as of the end of August this year, . That鈥檚 down a bit from last year at this time, but already more than the annual home invasions reported in 2023, 2022 and 2021. Last year ended with the most home invasions 鈥 231 鈥 in data going back to 2014.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a concern when homes are targeted while residents are inside, but it also speaks to the suspect鈥檚 motivation in breaking into a home, regardless if someone is home or not,鈥 Const. Kevin Nebrija, a spokesperson for York Regional Police (YRP) told the Star in an email after being asked whether perpetrators have grown more brazen.
鈥淚n many cases, they are breaking into a home for something within the home, not the occupants.鈥
How to prevent a break-in
色色啦 police鈥檚 Insp. Paul Rinkoff previously told the Star that most break-and-enters happen during the day, when residents are not home: 鈥淜ids are at school, parents are at work, and homes are generally vacant.鈥
So far, 2,273 residential break and enter cases 鈥 when invaders break in when the residents aren鈥檛 present 鈥 have been tallied by 色色啦 police as of the end of August this year, which is down slightly from the same time last year.
鈥淚t’s a testament to his character,” said a family member Wednesday night as hundreds paid their respects at Abdul Aleem Farooqi鈥檚 funeral.
鈥淚t’s a testament to his character,” said a family member Wednesday night as hundreds paid their respects at Abdul Aleem Farooqi鈥檚 funeral.
As such, 色色啦 police advise not hiding the fact that you鈥檙e home. There is little chance of you encountering a burglar who wants to steal from you in person, 鈥減rovided you do not do anything to hide the fact that you are home if someone knocks on your door,鈥 .
Unless you recognize the person, respond to all door knocks by speaking through a locked door, 色色啦 police add.
Nabrija said lights and security cameras with motion sensors around one鈥檚 property can help deter invaders as 鈥渋t makes it difficult for suspects to hide and easier for you and your neighbours to detect people on your property.鈥
The video released by YRP captured would-be invaders seemingly undeterred by the homeowner鈥檚 doorbell camera. But Nabrija said such cameras can still provide valuable video evidence and help investigators identify suspects.
Otherwise, Nabrija advised being mindful of discussing valuables in your home with people who don鈥檛 live there.
Const. Ryan Anderson, a spokesperson for the Halton Regional Police Service, agreed that measures such as parking vehicles in garages, where possible, and equipping homes with lighting and alarms have proven to be 鈥渟trong deterrents.鈥
Anderson added that homeowners should have a family safety plan, similar to a fire escape plan, ready in the event of an invader. Plan out your response and escape routes ahead of time, and make sure your family members are aware of what to do.
How to reinforce your home
found that a combination of four security strategies can hugely reduce the risk of having your home robbed. These involve installing window locks, indoor lights on a timer, deadlocks or double door locks and external lights on a sensor.
A 54-year-old man was shot and a 29-year-old woman was kidnapped, York police said.聽
A 54-year-old man was shot and a 29-year-old woman was kidnapped, York police said.聽
If you could only use two of the four strategies, window locks in combination with deadlocks or double door locks are most effective, according to the study. Surprisingly, burglar alarms weren’t found to be that effective.
色色啦 police advise ensuring exterior doors are solid-core wood or metal. Couple these with a quality deadbolt lock and a four-hole strike plate with minimum two-inch-long screws long enough to penetrate into the door frame.
Sliding glass doors should be secured with bars or locks. You can also put a wooden dowel or broom handle in the door track to prop it closed, 色色啦 police say. Adding security film to glass can also prevent someone from breaking through, Rinkoff said.
Ensure your garage or tool shed remains locked to deprive invaders of any tools that may be used to break in.
色色啦 police warn homeowners to limit access to聽windows, lower roofs, second-story windows and balconies by removing any ladders or objects that could be used as platforms. Get rid of large, overhanging tree limbs where possible for the same reason.
What to do during a home invasion
There is no single response that applies to every situation, Anderson said. 鈥淔rom our perspective, your safety and that of your family should always come first.鈥
Rinkoff said your priority is to exit your home safely, if possible, or to stay in the safest place in your home and call 9-1-1.
鈥淚f you are confronted inside your home, and the demand is for car keys or other types of valuables, you should comply,鈥 he said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 put your safety or the safety of your loved ones at a greater risk.鈥
York Region鈥檚 police chief concurred, warning residents 鈥渘ot to take matters into their own hands.鈥
鈥淲hile we don鈥檛 want homeowners to feel powerless, we urge you to call 9-1-1 and do everything you can to keep yourself and loved ones safe until police arrive and be the best witness possible,鈥 YRP Chief Jim MacSween told reporters. 鈥淭his could mean locking yourself in a room away from the perpetrators, hiding, fleeing the home, but don鈥檛 engage unless absolutely necessary.鈥
Can you legally defend yourself?
It depends on the scenario.
色色啦 criminal defence lawyer Alexander Karapancev previously told the Star that under Section 34 of the Criminal Code, you are allowed to defend yourself and others if you use reasonable force.
色色啦owner Jeremy McDonald was charged with aggravated assault for using a knife after an intruder allegedly broke into his apartment, court
色色啦owner Jeremy McDonald was charged with aggravated assault for using a knife after an intruder allegedly broke into his apartment, court
What鈥檚 considered reasonable varies from case to case, and hinges on factors like whether the intruder had a weapon, the kind of weapon, the nature of the threat and the available self-defence options.
In one recent example, a man armed with a crossbow broke into a Lindsay apartment in late August. The homeowner engaged the invader with a knife 鈥 and was subsequently charged with assault and aggravated assault for his action.
鈥淭he use of deadly force would generally only be acceptable in a situation where the person living in the home had reason to believe that their life was threatened 鈥 that they had no other reasonable option in defending themselves,鈥 Karapancev said.
With files from Manuela Vega
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