andrea moss toronto

Video shows violent takedown of suspected carjacker on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway

Toronto vehicle owners have one less person to worry about tonight when driving around at a speed conducive to carjacking, thanks to a group of police officers who tracked down a 70-year-old woman's stolen ride within hours of her violent assault.

And it wasn't just her car that they found, but the person who'd swiped it from her in traffic (Andrea Moss, 28, has been charged in connection with the incident).

Intense video footage from the arrest in question was posted online by a Twitter user called 401_da_sarpanch shortly before 3 p.m. on Monday.

Across two separate videos from the same location, we see what appears to be at least five police officers and one man in plainclothes struggling to detain someone beside a pulled-over sedan. A woman in plainclothes hovers around similarly until the cops tell both to back off.

Toronto Police confirmed to blogTO that the kerfuffle caught on camera took place on the Gardiner Expressway near Park Lawn Rd., just a short jog down the street from where the car had been jacked around 11 a.m.

Police say that officers first responded to "unknown trouble" on the busy expressway near Islington at 10:58am.

"Civilian motorists called police to advise it appeared a person on a bicycle, who was on the Gardiner, stopped a motorist in a vehicle that was travelling westbound," said TPS Const. Laura Brabant.

"Once the vehicle stopped, the bicyclist, pulled the driver, a 70-year-old woman out of the driver's seat and proceeded to steal the car. The car was driven away westbound and was last seen in the area of the Gardiner and Kipling."

Police say that the victim was assisted by other motorists at the time, and that she sustained no major injuries as a result of the incident.

A short time after the woman had her vehicle stolen, said vehicle was seen travelling westbound along the Gardiner approaching Park Lawn Rd., where it collided with another car.

The suspect then exited the stolen vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but Traffic Services and 22 Division officers were faster. After what police called a "violent confrontation," the carjacker was arrested.

One police officer did sustain minor injuries during the fray and the suspect was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Andrea Moss has been charged with robbery, dangerous operation of a conveyance, and assault with intent to resist arrest.

While they are rarely captured on camera and turned into dramatic social videos, carjackings have become a regular occurence in Toronto over the past few months.

Toronto Mayor John Tory announced earlier this summer that police would be stepping up patrols in certain parts of the city to combat these crime sprees. He also called upon the provincial government to assemble a dedicated carjacking task force.

Auto thefts in general are up 56 per cent right now, compared to the same time last year, with 4,723 cars stolen in Toronto as of July 18.

Authorities continue to advise people to lock their doors at all times while driving, and to keep a close eye on their surroundings. Police also say that carjacking victims should give up their vehicles if confronted to protect themselves from any potential physical harm.

Lead photo by

401_da_sarpanch


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