13 | durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, March 3, 2022 A knife-wielding thief is a common thread in two separate Whitby thefts reported by police that saw a pair of people looking to sell their mobile phones robbed of their devices. In the most recent theft, Durham police say officers responded to a street-level robbery around 8:40 p.m. on Feb. 20 after a victim was robbed at the Whitby Civic Centre on Rossland Road East. Police say the victim had attempted to sell his cellphone after posting it for sale online, and while meeting with a prospective buyer, was robbed at knifepoint. That suspect is described as a Black man, six- foot-three, with a slim build, and short, black dreads. He was wearing a bandana, dark grey hoodie and sweatpants. He fled on foot after the robbery and police failed to locate him. In a second street-level robbery, police say a second victim was at the Whitby Civic Centre around 6 p.m. on Feb. 14 to sell a cellphone when they were also robbed at knifepoint. The suspect in that case is described as a Black man, six-foot-one, with a slim build wearing a blue jacket, grey jacket and grey pants. Durham police are reminding residents to take precautions when selling items on any online platform. They encourage online sellers to meet during the day in a public place away from their residence and to bring along a companion. As well, sellers are urged not to accept partial payment or anything other than cash and not to hand over the item until receiving cash from the buyer. Anyone with new infor- mation about these thefts is asked to call Det. Const. Bonner at 905-579-1520, ext. 1854. SUSPECTS SOUGHT AFTER ONLINE SELLERS ROBBED, POLICE SAY NEWS VICTIMS LOOKING TO SELL CELLPHONES AT WHITBY CIVIC CENTRE: DURHAM POLICE A 49-year-old man is facing 21 charges in Durham Region after commercial properties were broken into. The same man is also facing 17 charges in York Region for commercial break-ins. Durham police said during January and February someone broke into 11 commercial properties, mainly restaurants in Ajax, Pickering and Whitby. The suspect would smash the front glass doors or windows, get inside and steal cash and property, police added. Similar break-ins happened in Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan, also in January and February, York police noted. In one instance in York, a suspect stole a large safe. A suspect was arrested by York police on Wednesday Feb. 9. Following the arrest, York police executed a search warrant on a Toronto location and recovered the safe. Michael Haughton of No Fixed Address is charged in Durham with nine counts of breaking and entering a business, nine counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, two counts of breaking and enter with intent and fail to comply with a probation order. In York, he's facing 14 counts of breaking and entering a business, two counts of breaching a probation order, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. He was held for a bail hearing. MAN ARRESTED FOR BREAK-INS IN DURHAM, YORK CRIME SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT DURHAMREGION.COM 111 Taunton Rd. E. 905-432-6912 255 Simcoe St. N. 905-728-4966 745 Stevenson Rd. N. 905-723-1009 GREAT RATES UTILITIES INCLUDED Onsite Laundry Facilities, Enclosed & Surface Parking & more 1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM UNITS AVAILABLE NORTH OSHAWA Call us today at 1-866-601-3083 to tour these properties CHANGE BEGINShere. DISCOVER CONFIDENCE AND CONNECTIONS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME. ALL-GIRLS DAY & BOARDING Grades 4-12 Whitby, Ontario trafalgarcastle.ca International Women's Day #BreakTheBias