Police charge man, girls in string of gunpoint home invasions in Toronto

TORONTO - Two Toronto teenaged girls and a man face numerous charges in what police are calling "an act of terror" that resulted in several people being robbed, tied up, pistol-whipped and one person being shot through the door of his home.

At a news conference Monday, Toronto police Staff Insp. Mike Earl said the 24-hour crime spree began on Oct. 16 when at least three men armed with handguns "terrorized" residents in a multi-unit home in the city's northwest end.

It's alleged that the men forcibly confined the homeowners and stole money and electronics.

Shortly after, the suspects tried to break into another apartment in the same building by firing a shot through the door and into the homeowner when they couldn't get in.

Earl said usually, home invasions are targeted at people known to the culprits but that was not the case in these instances.

"In this case it was a random act of violence," he said. "They went door-to-door systematically trying to terrorize members of the community."

Police allege that the next day around 7:45 p.m., the men and the girls were involved in another gunpoint robbery on the same area, robbing a teenage boy of his cellphone and cash.

Fifteen minutes after that, police say the group broke into a nearby home, tied up the homeowners and then fled with stolen goods.

A short time later, a 17-year-old boy was taken off the street and forced at gunpoint to knock on the door of a teenage acquaintance at a nearby home.

Once the accused got inside, police say the homeowners were pistol-whipped and robbed, and one of the occupants was allegedly forced to enter another home in the building.

Items were also taken from this home, and a 16-year-old boy living there was forced to leave with the group.

The suspects' vehicle was eventually discovered by police, along with a handgun and stolen property.

Police say by that time, the alleged kidnap victim had managed to escape.

One victim is recovering from a gunshot wound, and another has lost a kidney and has lacerations to his liver.

Some items that were taken included clothing, video game consoles, jewelry and identification.

"They were on a crime spree," said Earl. "It didn't matter what they took. If they liked it, they took it."

Wendel McLean, 28, of Toronto, a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, face numerous robbery, weapons and assault charges.

McLean also faces kidnapping, cocaine possession and an attempted murder charge.

Police are still looking for two other male suspects.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2012