‘Criminal organization:’ Toronto police arrest three women in distraction thefts

Police have arrested and charged three women accused of carrying out a string of distraction thefts targeting the elderly.

Three Toronto women are facing charges in connection with their alleged involvement in a “criminal organization” that police say is responsible for numerous distraction thefts.

Police say that the suspects often worked together to distract victims and steal from them when they weren’t looking.

Investigators allege that the thefts took place between June and September and often targeted elderly individuals.

A quantity of jewelry was stolen but police would not provide CTV News with an estimate for the value of the goods.

They say that investigators believe there may be additional victims out there who have not yet come forward.

The arrests come after police held a news conference last week to express concerns about an “alarming” uptick in distraction thefts. At the time, police said that there had been 375 distraction thefts reported

Durham police are also reporting a similar, “concerning trend,” involving distraction thefts.

Florentina Alexandru, 44, Mirabela Lacatusu, 27, and Florentina Alexandru, 37, were all taken into custody on Sept. 7 in connection with the Toronto police investigation. They are each charged with three counts of theft over $5,000, four other theft related charges, and four other charges related to being a part of the criminal organization.

Police confirmed in a phone call that the two Alexandrus share the same name but are different people with different dates of birth.