‘Where’s the money?’: Police release chilling audio of Vaughan home invasion

Angela Liberatore recalls hearing a sound no one wants to hear in their neighbourhood, especially on Christmas Eve.

“It was around 2 in the morning, and I heard some sirens. And then it just started getting louder and louder,” said the Vaughan, Ont., resident, recalling the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2023.

When Liberatore opened her front door to check what was going on, she says she saw what ended up being the aftermath of a home invasion at a nearby residence.

“I saw one of the police officers carry out a man from the garage who was injured,” she said, describing the assailant.

On Thursday, York Regional Police released the harrowing audio of a 911 call from a home invasion at Forest Drive and Harmonia Crescent last year, in which the assailants could be heard giving orders to the victim.

“Get off the phone, sit down! Don’t move!” a man’s voice could be heard saying.

Minutes later, a suspect is heard saying, “Where’s the money? Where’s the money at?”

“That’s all I have,” the victim responds.

York Regional Police say officers responded to a call about a home invasion in progress just before 2 a.m. on Christmas Eve last year.

“On scene, officers had found that three men had forced their way into the residence. They were armed with firearms. There was an interaction with one of our officers who did discharge their firearm,” said Cst, James Dickson

Dickson says no one was seriously injured, and police managed to take three alleged assailants into custody that day despite two attempting to flee.

A total of five men have since been arrested.

26-year-old Ali Mohammed and 32-year-old Kesworth Bassaragh, both of Toronto, as well as 33-year-old Lorrin Wolfe, 36-year-old Jamie Lee Tootoosis, and 35-year-old Elcee Jimmy, all of Saskatchewan, are facing a combined 37 charges, including robbery with a firearm.

Three weapons were also seized, according to police, including a sawed-off shotgun, and a gun that was dropped by one of the fleeing assailants.

During the incident, a black sedan was seen fleeing the area, which police say investigators learned was stolen during an armed carjacking in Calgary a month prior.

In their latest update Thursday, authorities put out a plea to the public for information regarding a new vehicle of interest.

A grey Ford F150 pickup truck was allegedly in the area at the time of the incident.

“We didn’t know what was happening, we were all stunned,” said Liberatore.

Aldo Canini, another area resident, told Global News his family has become hyperaware of their surroundings since hearing about the incident.

“It definitely makes you think about safety… and how sometimes the feeling of safety can kind of be an illusion,” he said.

The incident comes amid a rise in crimes of the same nature.

York Regional Police said they’ve flagged an 88-per cent increase in home invasions from 2022 to 2023.

Because of the violent nature of these crimes, Dickson urges those who find themselves in a similar situation to never engage with, or try to fight off, their assailants — especially if they’re armed.

Instead, try to be the best witness you can be, said Dickson. Remember as many details, and as much face and vehicle descriptions as you can.

“You never know how small a piece of information can be incredibly crucial to investigators down the road,” he said.

2:11 Fake cop sentenced in home invasion, deadly beating of Vancouver senior

&© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.