Hamilton police seek 2 suspects after ‘violent’ armed carjacking attempt

Police are looking for two suspects after a “violent” armed carjacking attempt on the Hamilton Mountain on Wednesday.

The incident happened in the driveway of a home in the area of West 5th Street and Brantdale Avenue on Dec. 20 around 8:30 p.m.

Police say two male suspects approached a vehicle and tried to forcefully remove one of the occupants at gunpoint though there were no serious injuries reported.

The suspects assaulted the victims but were not able to steal their vehicle and fled the scene in a white vehicle that was waiting for them nearby.

READ MORE: Police investigating after 17-year-old girl stabbed at Jackson Square

The first suspect is described as a white man, 35-years-old, five-foot-eight, with a large build, facial hair, and a comb-over hairstyle. He was wearing a black shiny puffer jacket, a grey shirt and dark pants.

The second suspect is described as a tall, white man with a slim build and dark hair. He was wearing a sleeveless puffer jacket with some red colouring and a white long sleeve shirt underneath.

Police ask those driving in the area at the time with dash cameras to review their footage and contact police if they see anything suspicious.

READ MORE: Emergency crews respond to fire at Hamilton apartment building

This is reportedly the 17th carjacking in Hamilton since January, marking the highest recorded number in the past decade.

“This is a concern for our community. And this isn’t just seen in our community but communities across Ontario. The average is up,” says Krista-Lee Ernst of Hamilton Police.

“Ford is the top brand that is being seen for these instances, followed closely by Hyundai, Chevrolet, Honda, and Toyota. Coincidentally those are the top 5 sellers in Canada.”

Hamilton police say they are taking proactive measures to enhance community safety as they see a significant surge in vehicle jacking incidents.

With the rising incidents of violence related to auto crimes across Ontario led to the creation of a provincial carjacking joint task force in October.

Hamilton police says it is working closely with its autos unit to address this and raise awareness.