Police allege two teens stole this Ford Focus from a Tuxedo home and drove it dangerously before crashing in East Kildonan. (CBC)Two suspects charged in connection with two dangerous high-speed police chases of a stolen car on Monday are no strangers to Winnipeg's auto-theft subculture, CBC News has learned.

Court documents show that the 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old man now charged with the theft of two vehicles and other offences have long histories of stealing cars, driving them dangerously and endangering the public with what police have called "an escape-at-all-costs" mentality.

On Tuesday, police identified both as high-risk chronic auto thieves who present a grave danger to the public. Both were wearing movement-monitoring GPS tracking bracelets, allowing police to keep tabs on their location. They were wearing the devices as a consequence of recent auto-theft-related convictions.

Neither can be identified without violating the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

On Monday, the teens allegedly stole an SUV from a shopping mall and drove it into the affluent Tuxedo area of the city.

Police allege they broke into two homes and stole another car, ditching the other.

Officers located the suspects in the vehicle in the area of Holland Boulevard and Grant Avenue and attempted to stop them. The suspects sped off and officers chased them for a short time but called it off due to public safety concerns.

The vehicle was later spotted in the city's East Kildonan area. A second pursuit began when the suspects refused to stop, police said.

The car then collided with another vehicle on Henderson Highway. No one was injured in the collision, police said.

After the crash, the driver of the stolen vehicle tried to keep going but lost control. Police quickly arrested the two suspects, who had tried removing their GPS bracelets in an attempt to evade tracking of their location.

Both remain in custody.

Family has more than 180 auto theft convictions

Court documents identify the 17-year-old as a member of what police and prosecutors consider to be Winnipeg's most notorious auto-theft family.

He, his older brothers and a teenaged cousin are linked to a number of high-profile stolen vehicle incidents and have garnered more than 180 auto theft-related convictions.

The 17-year-old cousin was arrested last week and charged with manslaughter in connection to a fatal crash that killed 47-year-old Zdzislaw Andrzejczak, a city mechanic.

Andrzejczak died shortly after a stolen 2005 Hummer H2 blew threw a stop sign in the North End and slammed into his small car.

The teen charged Monday — as well as his siblings — have been sued by Manitoba Public Insurance a number of times to recoup losses incurred from their auto-theft-related crimes, court records show.

More than $165,000 in civil court judgments have been awarded to MPI against the two older brothers. Other claims remain before the courts.

On Oct. 21, the public insurer launched a lawsuit worth nearly $20,000 against the 17-year-old for the thefts of four cars dating back to 2005. In court documents, MPI lists four criminal convictions for theft as proof he was responsible and should be held liable for damages.

The documents were served on him while he was in custody at a Portage la Prairie, Man., youth jail, records show.

'Joint criminal venture'

In April, the 19-year-old man charged in Monday's incident was ordered to pay MPI nearly $70,000 for his alleged involvement in another police chase on Jan. 11, 2007.

MPI alleges the 19-year-old and three friends stole an SUV from the Polo Park Shopping Centre in the early evening.

Police chased the vehicle up Portage Avenue where it was seen smashing into cars, a taxi cab and even an office building in an effort to evade capture.

MPI said the four were "engaged in a joint criminal venture" and should have to pay for the damages they caused. The courts agreed and issued a default judgment ordering them to pay.