Crime: 1)Police investigating violent early morning home invasion, assault; 2)Woman assaulted, trapped in transport truck; Barrie man charged; 3)Barrie police charge man after random assaults on people downtown; 4) Barrie man among five charged in Oshawa jewelry store smash-and-graB; 5)OPP nab suspected impaired driver after on-foot chase in Tiny; 6) Barrie police arrest suspect after knife threat at Toronto Street apartment;7) Police bust retail theft ring targeting Home Depot stores, including in Barrie

1) Police investigating violent early morning home invasion, assault

Source Barrie 360
By Julius Hern

Barrie Police are investigating a home invasion and attempted robbery that led to three people being assaulted and subsequently injured on Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred at a residence in the area of Draper Crescent near Leggott Avenue around 5:45 a.m. Officers responded after there were reports of four masked male suspects with gloves and armed with handguns that broke into a home.
Police say that evidence from the scene leads them to believe that the suspects forcibly entered the home through the front door. They reportedly demanded money, drugs, and jewelry during the incident, but came away with nothing.

The suspects had fled the area before police arrived, although the direction and whether they were in a vehicle is unknown.

Three occupants of the home, two males and a female, had been assaulted during the incident, according to police, and received medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say they are investigating the incident as isolated.
“While there is always a concern when firearms are involved and not recovered, Barrie police do not believe there is a risk to public safety at this time,” the service said in a news release.

2)Woman assaulted, trapped in transport truck; Barrie man charged

Source Barrie 360

By Ian MacLennan April 1, 2026

Barrie police say a woman is safe after a frightening incident inside a transport truck

Shortly after 9:30 Monday night, police responded to a call from a 42-year-old woman seeking help after she was allegedly assaulted and threatened inside a truck on Alliance Boulevard.

Police say the woman had earlier met the suspect downtown and asked him about receiving a ride to Sudbury.

While inside the truck, investigators say there was a verbal dispute that escalated, and the driver allegedly took the woman’s phone, made violent threats, and physically assaulted her. The woman told police he would not let her leave the vehicle, and she feared for her safety.

The suspect was later located inside the truck by police and arrested.

A 43-year-old Barrie man was charged with theft under $5,000, uttering threats to cause bodily harm, assault, and forcible confinement.

The transport truck was seized for further investigation.

3)Barrie police charge man after random assaults on people downtown

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, April 2, 2026

Barrie police say a suspect is facing charges after random assaults on people downtown.

Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, officers responded to a report of a person in the area of Dunlop Street East causing a disturbance and engaging in unprovoked assaults on pedestrians, including placing several people in headlocks and damaging personal property.

As officers arrived on the scene, police say the individual tossed a small plastic bag containing a suspected drug onto the street.

“When police attempted to make an arrest, the individual resisted and fled on foot,” police stated in a news release. “Following a brief pursuit, officers caught up with the suspect, and a struggle ensued. During the arrest, an officer was struck in the face while the individual continued to resist arrest.”

The suspect was eventually handcuffed.

Police said the substance that was seized is suspected to be cocaine and has been submitted for further analysis.

A 41-year-old Barrie man has been charged with causing a disturbance, possession of cocaine, assaulting a peace officer with intent to resist arrest, and failing to comply with a probation order.

The accused was held for a bail hearing.

4) Barrie man among five charged in Oshawa jewelry store smash-and-grab

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, March 31, 2026

Durham Regional Police arrest a suspect connected to a jewelry store robbery at the Oshawa Centre mall on March 29, 2026.

Five people who were charged with a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store in the Oshawa Centre on Sunday include a 22-year-old Barrie man.

Durham Regional Police say they responded to a robbery call at Bellagio Jewellers II inside the mall.

Police allege four suspects entered the store and deployed bear spray while smashing display cases, while a fifth person waited in a vehicle.

As the suspects attempted to flee the mall, two of them were nabbed inside the mall, while the others fled in the vehicle, only to be involved in a minor crash at Stevenson Road North and King Street West.

After the collision, the suspects fled on foot but were rounded up with the assistance of the Canine Unit.

One person at the mall was treated for exposure to bear spray.

Police also charged a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, and two adults, all from the Greater Toronto area.

5)OPP nab suspected impaired driver after on-foot chase in Tiny

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Julius Hern, April 3, 2026

A successful foot pursuit led to Southern Georgian Bay officers arresting a suspected impaired driver Thursday night in Tiny.

Around 10:30 p.m., a Midland business had informed police that a customer had appeared impaired and driven off from the location. Shortly thereafter, patrolling officers found the vehicle, which was notably driving erratically.

Police say they eventually initiated a traffic stop on Balm Beach Road, and demanded the driver participate in field sobriety testing.

However, when the man exited the vehicle, they ran.

Eventually, police stopped the 26-year-old with a stun gun, and he was later taken into custody. He faces charges of impaired impaired operation, failure to comply with demand, resisting a peace officer, mischief, driving without insurance, driving with open alcohol, and having his blood alcohol content above zero as a novice driver.

He is set to appear before a Midland court on May 14, and is subject to a 90-day licence suspension and seven-day vehicle seizure.

6) Barrie police arrest suspect after knife threat at Toronto Street apartment

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, March 30, 2026

One person has been charged after Barrie police responded to a disturbance at a multi-unit residential building on Toronto Street.

Shortly after three on Saturday afternoon, officers received a report of an individual believed to be armed with a knife inside a residence. When police arrived at the building, they heard calls for help coming within a locked room.

Police entered the unit and found several people inside, and one person was taken into custody without incident.

Investigators allege multiple people had been threatened during an altercation, and two individuals sustained minor injuries consistent with assaults involving a knife.

Police said several people were prevented from leaving a room during the incident.

A 48-year-old Barrie resident has been charged with two counts each of uttering threats and assault with a weapon, and one count each of forcible confinement and fail to comply with probation.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Barrie Police Service at 705-725-7025

7) Police bust retail theft ring targeting Home Depot stores, including in Barrie

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, March 30, 2026

Two 22-year-old men face charges following a months-long investigation into organized retail thefts at several Home Depot stores in Ontario.
South Simcoe Police say the incidents happened between November 2025 and last month in Barrie, Bradford, Orillia and Markham.

Police allege the suspects used a range of tactics to avoid full payment, including partial scanning items at self-checkout and fraudulent returns.
The suspects, from Innisfil and Thornhill, have been charged with multiple counts of theft, fraud, and possession of property obtained by crime.