Ivadar Padure, 23, from Oshawa, is accused of using a young child as a distraction to break into a Markham home.
York Regional Police (YRP) say that the man used this tactic at several homes.
On Wednesday, Dec. 13, around 12 p.m., a boy of 10 to 12 years of age went to the front door of a house near Rodick Road and 16th Ave.
When the occupant answered, the child said he had kicked a ball over the fence and needed help accessing the backyard to retrieve it. The person who answered the door escorted the boy to the yard to look for a ball, but none was found.
The child left and as the person at the house returned to the front of the house, a man was seen leaving the home. Police say he used the child as a distraction to enter the home.
According to police, the man was in a hidden spot and allegedly crept into the home at the same time as the resident was escorting the child into the yard to search for the ball.
Video from the home shows a man, believed to be Padure, opening the front door, sneaking inside the home, and climbing stairs to the second floor. The video shows him on tiptoes checking all the rooms. He stole cash from a purse.
Police say Padure is the man believed to be responsible for this incident.
Two days later, Padure allegedly went to a home near Woodbine and 16th avenues at around 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 15 and tried to use a child as a distraction again to gain entry.
“However, the complainant was aware of this distraction technique due to public awareness through a media release and contacted police,” said YRP.
Officers were able to locate and arrest him. The child wasn’t charged due to being under the age of 12.
Padure has been charged with three counts of break and enter.
Police are investigating a third incident that happened on Dec. 6 near McCowan Road and Raymerville Drive, just south of 16th Avenue.
They say a boy and a girl told the resident of a home that they lost a ball in the backyard.
“The complainant felt it was suspicious and refused to cooperate,” said police “The children left, and no ball was found.”
The investigation is ongoing and police say any witnesses or anyone with video recordings from home security systems or dashcam devices are asked to contact police as soon as possible.
Information can be provided to the York Regional Police #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau by calling 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7545. Alternatively, information may also be given anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or going online at www.1800222tips.com.
contact@criminalsamongus.ca
