Ottawa Police have charged four teenagers in relation to a series of brutal robberies in which the alleged victims were also abducted.
The four robberies happened over the span of a few weeks. First, on July 22, a youth was allegedly abducted by four men in a car, driven to various locations in the south end, assaulted and robbed of his phone and cash. He sustained minor injuries.
In the second incident, on Aug. 3, a man allegedly robbed a store at knifepoint on Pleasant Park Road, then called police from the Hunt Club and Hawthorne area. Police arrested him, but believe he was compelled to commit he robbery by three men in a vehicle.
Those suspects took the proceeds from the robbery, then stabbed the man. He was released without charge.
In the third incident, on Aug. 7 in the late morning, three suspects approached a man along Lorry Greenberg Drive near the baseball diamond. Police say he was abducted, assaulted, choked, robbed of his phone and stabbed in the leg with a knife.
Police have charged a 16-year-old boy in relation to all three robberies. He’s facing about two-dozen charges including multiple counts of kidnapping, robbery, assault, conspiracy, forcible confinement and possessing a weapon. He was arrested Aug. 8.
Another man, the alleged driver of the vehicle used by the suspects, was arrested Aug. 10. Mohamad Othman, 18, is facing more than a dozen charges including robbery, kidnapping, forcible confinement and possessing a weapon.
Two other suspects, aged 14 and 16, turned themselves into police on Monday in relation to the July 22 robbery. They are each charged with robbery, kidnapping and forcible confinement, among other charges.
Police believe at least two of the occurrences were not random.
Police are looking to identify a third male suspect in relation to the latter two incidents. It’s unclear whether it’s the same person in both cases.
Police also think there may be more victims. They’ve recovered cell phones whose owners haven’t been identified.
The vehicle involved is a silver, four-door Honda Accord.
Anyone with information regarding these robberies, or any other robbery, is asked to call the Ottawa Police's Robbery Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5116.