A 20-year-old man is facing almost 50 charges in connection with an eight-month violent spree of robberies across Scarborough.
Toronto police say that between January 19 and August 28, they responded to eight calls for street and retail robberies in 41 Division, which encompasses Brimley Road to Lake Ontario, Victoria Park Avenue, and Highway 401.
Investigators say a man approached several victims while wearing a ski mask and demanded items that belonged to them, such as cellphones and e-scooters.
“In some cases, the suspect brandished a knife or pointed a firearm and threatened the victims while demanding property,” police said in a release.
The man allegedly assaulted the victims before fleeing with the stolen property.
The victims all sustained a variety of non-life threatening physical injuries.
Police say the man also went to a store in the Kennedy Road and Eglinton Avenue East area and allegedly stole property.
“When confronted by employees, he brandished a knife and made threats towards store staff before fleeing,” police said. “In one case, the suspect chased an employee around the store while threatening them with a knife.”
Police add that the victims in these cases did not suffer any physical injuries.
Investigators say on August 29, they were called to the same store location and arrested Anthony Grey of Toronto. He is facing a total of 47 robbery, weapons and assault charges, including three counts of failing to comply with a Youth Criminal Justice Act sentence order and failing to comply with probation.
