Arrest made, suspects sought following stunt driving rally and arson investigation in Scarborough

By Mark Douglas, Lucas Casaletto

One man has been arrested, 19 others have been charged, and two suspects are being sought following a viral video showing a car rally and arson case like no other in Toronto.

It was around 2:30 a.m. last Sunday when a crowd of more than 100 people gathered at McNicoll Avenue and Placer Court in North York.

The roadway was set on fire with an accelerant, and vehicles were doing spins, drifting, and burning doughnuts inside the circle of flames.

The video shows people in the crowd, ignoring pandemic protocols, shooting videos on their phones. When police arrived, a cruiser was swarmed and damaged.

Everyone ran off.

About an hour later, there was another giant crowd in Scarborough with another roadway set on fire, at Meadowvale Road and Zoo Road where another police cruiser was damaged.

Yet again, the crowd dispersed, only to move to yet another location at Meadowvale and Dean Park Road.

On Wednesday, Toronto police announced that 19 people were charged for pandemic crowd violations.

An investigation was launched into the stunt driving and the damage to the police car and on Tuesday, police arrested 19-year-old Joshua Goodale-Chapman of Waterdown.

The teenager has been charged with, arson, stunt driving, dangerous operation of a conveyance, and pandemic violations.

Goodale Chapman will appear in court on June 17.

A vehicle was also impounded.

Two other suspects need to be identified, and police have released images of them.

One of them is a woman with long brown hair, about 20 years old, last seen wearing a black jacket with fur around the hood, and a black face mask carrying a red gas tank.

A second suspect is a man, who was wearing glasses, a red hoodie, and black pants.

“The message is simple – speeding and stunt driving can kill. Drivers performing reckless stunts show a blatant disregard for the safety of themselves and the public, while those who actively watch are also putting themselves in harm’s way,” said Superintendent Paul MacIntyre.

“The community should not, and does not, have to tolerate this and we will actively identify and arrest people who take part in these events. Make no mistake, if you participate in these illegal activities we won’t hesitate to go anywhere in the Province to arrest you – and we will take your vehicle.”

Anyone with information is being asked to contact investigators.

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