With a new vehicle stolen every 14 minutes in Ontario, the province's rising car theft problem continues to escalate on a daily basis, with Toronto police even encouraging residents recently to leave their car keys by their front door to prevent home invasions.

One carjacking in Kitchener was recently captured in a shocking video that's gone viral on social media, which has reignited discussions surrounding the province's car theft crisis. 

On Monday at approximately 10 p.m., Waterloo Regional Police responded to a report of a carjacking in the area of Elmsdale Drive and Huntsworth Avenue.

According to police, a victim was in the parking lot of their residence when they were approached by multiple suspects. The victim was reportedly forced out of their vehicle when a firearm was brandished towards them. 

Carjacking in Kitchener. 👀
pic.twitter.com/sE3bMVcJID

— Justice_Queen ⚖️ 🔰🪬 (@RE_MarketWatch) March 14, 2024

As seen in the video, the suspects successfully stole the vehicle and escaped before the police arrived at the scene. Luckily, there were no reports of physical injuries and a vehicle was later located in the area of Marina Avenue and Belmont Avenue.

At an Etobicoke community safety meeting last month, TPS Constable Marco Ricciardi said that residents should leave their car fobs at their front doors to prevent the possibility of being attacked in their homes. 

"They're breaking into your home to steal your car. They don't want anything else," Ricciardi at the meeting.

According to the province, from 2014 to 2021, there was a 72 per cent increase in auto theft across Ontario, and a 14 per cent increase in 2023 alone.