Police are searching for four males after a failed home invasion in Vaughan early Wednesday morning.
The suspects broke into a house near , using an axe to smash through the front door around 2:30 a.m.,
The invaders, who were also armed with a baton, demanded property from the people inside though they were ultimately unsuccessful and fled the area empty-handed in a black SUV, officers said.聽
Investigators did not specify how the residents were able to stave off the invaders but did say that nobody was hurt in the incident.
Video of the break-in released by police shows the four hoodie-clad males first punching through the door with an axe and then charging inside before the footage cuts to them running back out the same front entrance toward their SUV and driving off.聽
The first suspect was wearing a white T-shirt under a hoodie, a black mask and was wielding the axe. The second suspect was also wearing a black hoodie with black pants and a black mask, as well as white shoes and white gloves. The third was seen wearing a grey-and-navy hoodie and navy pants with a white strip down each side, as well as a white mask, white shoes and black gloves. The fourth male police are looking for had a black hoodie, black pants, black shoes and white gloves while carrying the baton.聽
York Region has been hit with a slew of home invasions over the past few weeks, including one that took the life of a 46-year-old man who was shot in front of his family.
Family spoke about a Vaughan man who was killed in front of his family early Sunday in a home
The killing of Abdul Aleem Farooqi prompted the chief of York police to issue a warning to residents, telling them during a during a Sept. 3 press conference 鈥渘ot to take matters into their own hands,鈥 when faced with a break-in. Facing criticism for that directive, Chief Jim MacSween later clarified his advice, saying that聽not engaging with intruders was proved to be the best way to handle the situation.聽
鈥淚t was suggested as a tactic in the hopes of preserving lives, should citizens be confronted with an armed intruder,鈥 his followup statement on Sept. 5 read. 鈥淲hen it comes to defending property, material items can be replaced 鈥 but lives cannot.鈥
MacSween’s statement later clarified that there isn’t any one way to react when staring down an intruder.
鈥淭hese situations are dynamic, chaotic, and difficult to assess in the moment. Ultimately, a citizen should do what they deem necessary to preserve their own safety, and the safety of their loved ones.,鈥 MacSween said.
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