York Regional Police are appealing for witnesses after two robberies in Vaughan, including one in which an axe was wielded to threaten employees.
On July 8, just before 4:30 p.m., a robbery occurred in a parking lot of a large retail store in the area of New Huntington Road, police said.
The victim had purchased a television and was loading it into a vehicle when a man pushed him and stole the TV.
The suspect got into a pickup truck and as he was fleeing the scene, the victim was hit. The victim was not seriously injured, police said.
In the second incident on Tuesday, July 11, at around 2:50 p.m., police were called to a business on Highway 7 near Highway 427 for a report of a robbery.
"A male had entered the premises and threatened employees with an axe," police said. The suspect fled with a one-wheeled electric scooter, police said. The victims were not physically injured.
Investigators have linked the two incidents to the same suspect. They urge the man to seek legal advice and turn himself in.
Anyone who can identify him is asked to come forward.
The suspect is described as a white male, age 30 to 40. He was wearing sunglasses and a reflective vest.
He was driving an older model, maroon coloured Ford 250 pickup truck.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6630, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com.
