Five Toronto teenagers charged with armed robbery

January 12, 2009 Toronto police responded to an emergency call from a 24-year-old who reported that five youths wearing balaclavas and carrying firearms had entered his apartment around 01:30 in the morning, and held him prisoner while they stole his belongings.

The Emergency Task Force was dispatched to East Toronto where they arrested the teenagers who were all together in a single house along with the stolen plasma-screen television, a video game system and jewelry. While weapons were found among them, there was no sign of any firearms.

Two of the youths, 18-year-old Joshua Lourie and another who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, had prior arrests and were charged with failing to abide by the terms of their releases.