Three teens arrested following armed robbery at Kitchener business

Three teens have been arrested following an armed robbery in Kitchener, the latest in a string of crimes involving youths in Waterloo Region.

At around 4 p.m. on Sunday, three suspects entered a business near Ottawa Street South and Fischer Hallman Road and stole an unspecified amount of merchandise.

Waterloo Regional Police said a gun was also fired, but no one was hurt during the robbery.

“[We] quickly identified the suspect’s vehicle and coordinated with the Ontario Provincial Police,” they said in a media release. “The vehicle was located a short time [later] in Peel Region.”

Police said two 14-year-olds and one 15-year-old, all from the Greater Toronto Area, were arrested.

Other incidents involving teens

Sunday’s robbery was just the latest involving young teens.

There have been at least three incidents reported in the last month.

On Aug. 18, a 17-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl were charged in a Cambridge shooting.

On Sept. 4, a 13-year-old boy was charged with six residential break-ins in Cambridge.

On Sept. 6, witnesses restrained three teens as they were fleeing a jewelry store at Highland Hills Mall in Kitchener. Police said they smashed display cases with hammers and stole merchandise. The 15-year-old, 16-year-old and 18-year-old, all from Brampton, face multiple robbery and weapons charges. Police were still looking for a fourth person who left the scene in a black 2024 Jeep Wrangler.

Analyst shares insight

Chris Lewis, a former OPP commissioner and public safety analyst for CTV News, shared his thoughts on the teen trend.

“Some specific crimes that have occurred in KW and in other parts of the province are really concerning, in that they involve guns with 14-year-olds,” he said.

During the most recent incident in Kitchener, the suspects got away in a vehicle which they were not permitted to drive.

Lewis said the teens may have had help from someone older.

“I suspect they are maybe helping them get from place to place, maybe gang activity, maybe just small criminal groups that are doing bad things too.”

If gang-related, Lewis doesn’t put the blame on lesser penalties for youths.

“I don’t think the Criminal Justice Act plays a huge part in it,” he said. “I mean, you’re not going to lock up a 13, 14-year-old for any length of time, regardless of the Criminal Justice Act. At the same time, adults don’t seem to be concerned about their involvement in gang activity and gun crime. They’re not afraid of the Criminal Code.”

There is some research, Lewis said, that suggests the pandemic could play a factor in these incidents.

“Years that [they] were isolated, not interacting with other kids, seeing no one maybe but [their] parents, and ultimately living online.”

Lewis said it’s easy for teens to fall in with the wrong crowd and be influenced to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

Crime prevention programs, he added, also aren’t likely to stop young people from committing crimes.