By Staff
April 26, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Regional police got a bit of a break and have arrested Michael Blaire Martin MCNAUGHTON for a series of vehicle break-ins.
Early in March the Halton Regional Police began an investigation into a rash of vehicle break-ins in Burlington where vehicle windows were being smashed and property stolen. These thefts occurred at various restaurant parking lots throughout the City of Burlington.
A similar rash of entries occurred again on March 17th 2017 however the Burlington Mall and Mapleview Mall parking lots were targeted. On this date the suspect also stole a black 2003 GMC Yukon from the Mapleview Mall parking lot and left behind a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that had been reported stolen to Brantford Police the day prior. The stolen GMC Yukon was recovered in Cambridge on March 29th 2017.
Investigators from the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau have identified Michael Blaire Martin MCNAUGHTON (28 yrs.) of no Fixed Address (Formerly of Hagersville) as the person responsible for these crimes.
MCNAUGHTON was arrested March 30th, on unrelated matters by the Brantford Police Service with assistance of Project Shutdown members. (Project Shutdown is a multi-jurisdicational initiative aimed at combating auto-thefts in Southern Ontario involving officers from the Brantford Police Service, Halton Regional Police Service, Hamilton Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police and Six Nations Police Service).
A Judge’s Order was obtained and MCNAUGHTON appeared in Milton court on April 11th 2017 to face the following 28 criminal charges.
• Fraud Under $5000 (two counts)
• Mischief Under $5000 (eleven counts)
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime (two counts)
• Theft of Motor Vehicle (one count)
• Theft under $5000 (twelve counts)
Police are continuing to investigate similar occurrences in Oakville and Milton and further charges are possible. MCNAUGHTON remains in custody and will appear next by video on May 4th 2017.
Anyone who may have any information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316, Crime Stoppers “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), through the web at www.haltoncrimesoppers.ca or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)
Police are reminding the public of the following prevention tips:
• Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are kept locked/secure
• Park in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible
• Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk. Don’t tempt thieves by leaving packages or purses in plain view or on the seat.
• Remove GPS navigation and cell phone devices & power cords from view when not in your vehicle
• Help police catch those responsible by keeping an eye out in your communities and immediately reporting any suspicious activity.
