OPP arrest 1 man after stolen vehicle from Thorold found near Ottawa

Ontario Provincial Police have arrested a man from Québec in connection with the theft of a vehicle from a Thorold home.

Niagara police officers say a 2023 Toyota Tundra was reported stolen from a home in Thorold Sunday, with information suggesting that two people were involved with the theft.

Meanwhile on the same day, OPP officers said a Toyota Tundra with its rear windows smashed out was seen on the road over 500 km away in the area of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, near Ottawa.

Following a traffic stop, investigators confirmed that the Toyota was stolen.

William Cardinal, 26, from Québec, was arrested and returned to Niagara police.

“The flavour seems to be for these Toyota and Lexuses,” said Const. Rich Hingley with the Niagara Regional Police Service. “The target is going to be where there is a higher concentration of those vehicles.”

They say there was no one else in the stolen vehicle at the time of the arrest.

Cardinal was charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and breaching probation.

He was held for a bail hearing at a St. Catharines courthouse Monday.

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Investigators are working to identify the second suspect connected to the Toyota’s theft, and are unable to provide a description at this time.

“One person arrested leads to another part of an investigative link,” said Hingley. “Information from that arrest we can now use towards finding other suspects, [or through] them finding other vehicles.”

Niagara police urged local communities Wednesday to consider installing additional security measures after a string of vehicle thefts occurred late September.

They say vehicle owners can get a tracker put in their car so if it is taken, it can be found, but Harminder Atway, with 360 Auto & Sound Inc., says owners can take security a step further.

One device that can prevent thieves from taking a vehicle is called a Ghost 2.

“It’s an alarm system for your vehicle, basically like a firewall — if you don’t enter a PIN code, your car bricks and it won’t move,” said Atway. “So if you enter a four or five button PIN, your car produces a sound or a light flash and then you can start your car.”

The unique PIN is made up of a variety of buttons already on a vehicle’s dashboard, so only the owner can unlock it.

Officers shared a surveillance image of a suspect attempting to break into a vehicle in the Pelham area.

Detectives say they can’t confirm if Cardinal is the same person that was in that surveillance image.

Niagara police say that with technology rapidly changing, it can be difficult to stay on top of how the cars are stolen.

Anyone who may recognize the person in that image is asked to call police at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1023300.

Information can also be provided anonymously by reaching out to Crime Stoppers of Niagara online here, or by calling 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

WATCH MORE: Niagara police urge enhanced security on some model cars after thefts