Driver facing 32 charges after allegedly running red lights, trying to steal car in Vaughan

Video released by York Regional Police shows a driver being arrested after weaving through traffic while trying to evade police in Vaughan, Ont.

A driver is facing more than two dozen charges after he was allegedly captured on video attempting to steal a vehicle as well as breaking multiple traffic laws, including speeding, running a red light, and driving on the wrong side of the road, in Vaughan, Ont. over the weekend.

York Regional Police said officers first observed a Dodge Caravan driving erratically near their headquarters at 2700 Rutherford Rd. at 2:40 a.m. on Nov. 29.

The driver fled when officers attempted a traffic stop, police said.

The force’s Air2 helicopter was dispatched to follow the vehicle, and the footage it captured was released on Wednesday.

“Is he going through red lights?” one officer is heard saying in the video.

“Yeah, he is,” another responds.

One of the officers notes that the vehicle has its headlights off.

The driver is then seen making a left turn from the wrong lane.

“He’s good for dangerous (driving),” an officer says.

Moments later, the helicopter catches the driver stopping in front of a home near Dufferin Street and Teston Road.

He appears to get out of the Dodge, walks toward one vehicle parked in the driveway, and then allegedly hits the driver’s side window with an object several times.

After failing to get inside the vehicle, the driver walks back to the Dodge and continues driving.

“This gets more interesting,” one officer says.

Later, dispatch informs police that the Dodge Caravan is stolen.

The vehicle is then seen driving the wrong way, travelling east on the westbound lanes.

Police said officers on the ground tried to contain the Dodge in the area of Bathurst Street and Autumn Hill Boulevard, but failed as the driver was able to escape. The driver is later seen blowing through another red light.

Police said officers then deployed a spike strip on the road, which was successful as two of the Dodge’s tires were punctured.

In the video, sparks are seen coming from the vehicle due to the blown tires.

The vehicle then enters an underground parking garage of an apartment building on Antibes Drive in Toronto, and police cruisers arrive shortly after.

The motorist is seen in the video running away from one police officer, but then he appears to give up, gets on the ground, and is handcuffed.

Suspect linked to 2 commercial break-ins: police

In a news release on Wednesday, police identified the suspect as 29-year-old John Derick Saturnino.

Investigators have determined that he is linked to two commercial break-and-enters, one in Richmond Hill on Nov. 15 and another in Toronto on Nov. 21.

Police said his driver’s licence had been suspended since 2023.

Meanwhile, the Dodge Caravan was reported stolen in Toronto on Nov. 27, they said.

Saturnino is facing a total of 32 charges, including three counts of driving while under suspension and two counts each of mischief under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, break and enter with intent, and driving a motor vehicle while performing a stunt.

They are asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7441, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).