TORONTO, July 10, 2026 – York Regional Police have issued an update on a series of break-ins involving apartment and condominium buildings, saying one suspect has been charged and a second suspect remains outstanding. Police said the investigation found that suspects had placed a glue-like substance on apartment unit doors and later returned to check whether the mark had been disturbed, in an apparent attempt to determine whether anyone was home before committing a break-in.
York Regional Police said the investigation is being led by the #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau. Police had previously warned the public about related incidents, saying suspects had entered apartment and condominium buildings in a concealed manner. As the investigation continued, police identified one suspect and executed search warrants on July 2 at a residence and a vehicle in Vaughan.
According to police, a 39-year-old Vaughan man has been charged with several offences, including break and enter with intent, failing to comply with a release order, possession of break-in instruments and possession of property obtained by crime. Police said the investigation is ongoing and a second suspect has not yet been located. Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward.
The case is a practical reminder for condo and apartment residents in York Region. Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan have seen significant growth in new condominiums and high-rise residential buildings in recent years, with residents including newcomer families, international students, seniors and single working adults. Compared with detached homes, apartment and condo security depends heavily on building entrances, visitor registration, elevators, hallway monitoring and cooperation between property management and residents. Once an unfamiliar person enters the building, individual units may face risk.
Residents who notice unknown marks near their door, door frame or lock, or who see strangers repeatedly lingering in hallways, should not simply clean the area and ignore it. A safer approach is to take photos showing the time and location, then notify property management, security or police. If suspicious activity is happening at the time, residents should contact police immediately. If only an unusual mark is found, they can report it to property management and ask about floor surveillance footage, access-control records and visitor logs.
For residents who are often away from home, travelling for a short period or relying on family members to collect mail, a doorway that appears untouched for a long time, stacked packages or uncollected mail may make a unit appear vacant. Before leaving, residents can ask a trusted neighbour or family member to check the doorway regularly and avoid leaving obvious signs of vacancy in shared areas.
Condo security is not only an individual household issue. It also involves management of the entire building. Property management companies should remind residents about suspicious activity in a timely manner and strengthen monitoring of tailgating, unfamiliar people entering floors and activity in common areas. Residents should also avoid opening doors for people they do not know or allowing strangers to follow them into residential areas from underground parking garages or elevator lobbies.
Police remind anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the York Regional Police #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers. For apartment and condo residents, reporting small abnormalities early is often more effective than trying to respond after a break-in has already occurred.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
