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Is social media dare fuelling Windsor restaurant burglary spree?

An online trend dares people to film themselves breaking into coffee shops and other restaurants.

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A “concerning” social media challenge may be behind three recent restaurant break-ins in Windsor, with police now having identified five young suspects.

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Investigators with the Windsor Police Service believe the incidents are connected to an online trend that dares people to film themselves breaking into coffee shops and other restaurants.

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The first such incident saw suspects pry open a drive-thru window of a restaurant in the 3400 block of North Service Road around 5 a.m. on March 12.

“They climbed through the opening and appeared to record the break-in on a cell phone,” police said in a statement on Monday.

A second incident took place two days later at a Windsor restaurant in the 1400 block of Huron Church Road on Friday, March 14.

The suspects once again forced open a drive-thru window, entered the business and filmed themselves dancing and berating employees. Police said nobody was physically hurt.

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On Sunday, March 16, at around 3:30 a.m., five suspects subsequently returned to the same restaurant on Huron Church Road and repeated the same actions while one person stood outside to record it.

Investigators said officers obtained footage of the suspects.

In an update on Tuesday, police said all five suspects being sought had now been identified, four of whom are minors.

“The Windsor police target base unit urges community members to avoid participating in this social media trend, which can result in criminal charges and serious consequences,” police said.

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Anyone with information about these or similar incidents is asked to contact police at 519-255-6700, ext. 4350 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at catchcrooks.com.

mholmeshill@postmedia.com

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