A habitual offender, who has cheerfully embraced the moniker ‘Toronto’s Joker, and mocked law enforcement pursuing him, has been captured by Ontario police following a 12-day manhunt. The apprehension in Oshawa marks his second arrest this year.
In February, the public was first introduced to the alleged suspect, Michael Stamatakos, when the Ontario Provincial Police sought information about his whereabouts.
At the time, he was supposed to be serving a two-year sentence for crimes such as arson, property damage, eluding law enforcement, and several others. The public service announcement gained widespread attention thanks to Stamatakos’s rather distinctive and attention-grabbing facial tattoos, which give the man something of a Joker vibe, from the Batman series.
WANTED: 31y/o Michael STAMATAKOS. STAMATAKOS has noticeable face tattoos and is known to frequent the #Toronto area. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please call 1-800-222-8477 or 911. ^bm pic.twitter.com/Bv75HF4Iv7
— OPP GTA Traffic (@OPP_GTATraffic) October 18, 2023
His evasion of law enforcement left ended with Stamatakos openly taunting the police, playfully ridiculing news reports about his wanted status on TikTok using the username “torontosjoker.”
But all creepy things must come to an end, and it did for Stamatakos this afternoon.
It was a tense afternoon when law enforcement authorities finally managed to apprehend Stamatakos, bringing his brief yet high-profile escapade to a close. The cat-and-mouse game that had captivated the public and perplexed law enforcement had reached its conclusion, and Stamatakos’s audacious antics on social media were silenced as he was brought into custody
They ( @DRPS ) found tattoo man in yes you guessed it… Oshawa today… pulled up out of a residence at gun point middle of the day. https://t.co/aqLl8SoQeN pic.twitter.com/aFllKox4jq
— Kyle.Taylor (@livingbyyyz) October 31, 2023
A video posted to social media on Oct. 30 shows a person identified as “tattoo man” being arrested by Durham Regional Police Service in suburban Oshawa east of Toronto.
Originally posted 2023-10-31 19:45:08.