Spike Belts and Smashed Cruisers: Three Arrested in Wild Ottawa Auto Theft Chase

Three Ottawa residents are facing a long list of serious criminal charges following a chaotic, high-speed vehicle theft pursuit that involved a spike belt deployment and ended with suspects intentionally crashing into a police cruiser.

Brazen Auto Theft in Lincoln Heights

The intense series of events began in the early hours of Wednesday, January 28. At approximately 2:00 a.m., the Ottawa Police Service responded to urgent reports of an active vehicle theft occurring in the 1400 block of Richmond Road, located in the Lincoln Heights community.

Approximately 25 minutes after the initial call, responding officers spotted the stolen vehicle—a Honda SUV—travelling near Dumaurier Avenue in the Britannia Bay area. When police attempted to intercept the vehicle, the suspects aggressively accelerated and sped away.

Due to the extreme speeds and dangerous, icy road conditions, officers made the tactical decision not to engage in a high-speed pursuit in order to protect public safety.

Spike Belt Deployed on Highway 417

Police quickly coordinated to track the stolen SUV from a safe distance. At 2:27 a.m., officers located the vehicle again as it travelled near the March Road and Eagleson Road exit along Highway 417 in Kanata.

Officers successfully deployed a tire deflation device, commonly known as a spike belt, directly into the path of the speeding Honda. The device functioned perfectly, instantly deflating all four of the SUV's tires.

Suspects Ram Police Cruiser

Incredibly, the suspects refused to surrender despite driving on four flat tires. They continued to drive the heavily damaged vehicle along the highway for another 2.5 kilometres before finally taking the Kanata Avenue exit.

As police moved in to box the vehicle and effect an arrest, the driver of the stolen SUV allegedly accelerated and intentionally crashed into a marked police cruiser. Fortunately, Ottawa police confirmed that no officers were physically injured during the violent collision.

Three Suspects Face Heavy Charges

Following the crash, officers swarmed the vehicle and successfully took three suspects into custody without further incident.

The arrested individuals have been identified as a 28-year-old man, a 31-year-old woman, and a 42-year-old man, all residents of Ottawa.

The trio is now facing a massive slew of criminal charges, including:

• Theft of a motor vehicle
• Possession of stolen property
• Assaulting a peace officer
• Flight from a peace officer
• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
• Obstructing/resisting a peace officer
• Uttering threats
• Mischief to property
• Breach of probation

All three accused individuals appeared in court on Wednesday to face the charges.

Deterring Auto Theft Start to Finish

Auto theft is a highly organized crime that often puts the public and police at severe risk during getaways. You can help break the cycle by making your vehicle significantly harder to steal:

• Use a Physical Lock: High-tech thieves can easily bypass electronic ignitions, but a physical steering wheel lock (like a "Club") remains a highly visible and effective deterrent that requires time and heavy tools to defeat.
• Install a Tracking Device: Hide a small GPS tracker (like an Apple AirTag or a dedicated vehicle tracker) deep within your car's interior. This allows police to easily locate the vehicle without engaging in a dangerous high-speed pursuit.
• Block the OBD Port: Many thieves steal cars by plugging a device into the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port to reprogram a new key. Consider purchasing an OBD port lock to prevent unauthorized access to your vehicle's computer.