There are 137,000 stories in the Royal City, and this is some of them. Looking at a week’s worth of media releases from the Guelph Police Service, there’s a lot gong on in our little city crime-wise speaking, so let’s run down some of the charges, issues, and requests for information from the Guelph Police Service over the last seven days.

***Please note that not all offenses and police calls are reported in the daily Guelph Police media release.

Arrest Made in Guelph’s First Murder of 2021

A 59-year-old man was taken to the hospital in medical distress after being called to an address in the area of York and Watson. The man later succumbed to his injuries, and a 40-year-old Guelph man was arrested and charged with second-degree murder as a result of the investigation. The two men were known to other, so there’s no danger to the public as a result of this matter. Police are still looking for witnesses though, so if you are one, call Detective Constable Joel Apps at 519-824-1212, ext. 7162, or email at japps [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Waterloo-Guelph Human Trafficking Team Makes a Bust

The joint Waterloo-Guelph Human Trafficking team arrested a 26-year-old Guelph woman who’s been charged with human trafficking, procuring, receiving material benefit from human trafficking and uttering threats. The arrest stems from an investigation started after police received information earlier this month that an adult woman was being forced to participate in the sex trade in her Guelph apartment. The matter is still under investigation, or if you have any information about this, or other potential instances of human trafficking email the Human Trafficking team at intel.ht [at] wrps.on.ca.

Bus Dispute Leads to Weapons Charge

A 52-year-old Guelph man was charged with breaching a bail condition and carrying a concealed weapon after starting a fight with a Guelph Transit driver on Tuesday night. Police were called to Guelph Central Station where a man was in a “verbal altercation” with the driver. Upon investigation, police discovered that the man was on a bail condition to stay home between 8 pm and 6 am, but he had not been to the address police had on file for over a month. When they searched him, police found a 20-centimetre kitchen knife in his sock.

October Shooting in Guelph Solved

A 28-year-old Kitchener male was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and multiple firearms charges in connection to a shooting in Guelph last October. Guelph Police Service Tactical Unit served a search warrant on a Kitchener address on Thursday where they arrested the suspect, plus another youth, and two were charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking meth, possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl, further firearms charges and breaches.

A firearm, ammunition, and a stolen vehicle were all seized from the residence, plus approximately $50,000 worth of controlled substances, which you can see below.

“We will work tirelessly to investigate and bring to justice those who commit these brazen acts of violence in our communities,” said Guelph Police Service Chief Gord Cobey in a statement. “Today’s arrests are an example of the important and difficult work our members do each day to keep our citizens safe. We would like to thank all the members involved and our policing partners who assisted in this investigation.”

Assault

A 16-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault police last Sunday after the report of a disturbance at a Silvercreek Parkway North residence. The suspect tried to head butt an officer.

A 19-year-old Guelph woman was charged with assault police and resisting arrest early on Monday morning when police were called to a disturbance in the area of Edinburgh and Ironwood Road. The suspect punched an officer several times, but no injuries were reported.

Break-Ins

A 44-year-old Guelph man was charged with mischief over $5,000 and three counts of breaching probation after police caught him in the act of damaging an ATM in the area of Victoria Road North and Grange Road. The ATM suffered at least $5,000 in damage.

An unidentified man was caught on video trying to break into a coin machine with a hammer and a pry bar at a business in the area of Southgate and Laird around 1 am on Wednesday. The suspect is described as a white male wearing a reflective jacket and pants similar to construction clothes and a baseball cap. He was driving a pickup that was possibly a grey Ford F-150. If you have any information, call Constable Firas El-Ayoubi at 519-824-1212, ext. 7129, or email him at felayoubi [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Police are investigating a break-and-enter at a business near Woodlawn and Elmira where someone scaled the fence Monday evening, checked the toolboxes on several trucks, and left 20 minutes later with only an orange rain jacket apparently. If you have any information about this case, call Constable Brett Nymeyer at 519-824-1212, ext. 7227, email him at bnymeyer [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Theft

A white 2003 GMC Sierra was stolen from a construction site at Stevenson and Elizabeth while the crews there were working. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 30, 6’ tall with a medium build and wearing a grey hoodie. If you have any information, call Constable Graeme Adams at 519-824-1212, ext. 7419, or email him at gadams [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 40-year-old Guelph man was charged with fraud under $5,000, uttering a forged document and unauthorized use of a credit card after using the stolen credit card to buy $143 worth of goods. The card was stolen from a vehicle last July outside a Woodlawn Road West business.

Sometime late Thursday or really early on Friday morning, two medical bags containing oxygen tanks and neonatal resuscitation equipment were stolen from a vehicle parked in a driveway in the area of Eramosa Road and Stuart Street. The equipment is said to be worth more than $5,000. If you have any information, call Constable Cameron Keddie at 519-824-1212, ext. 7431, or email him at ckeddie [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 39-year-old Guelph man was charged with possessing stolen property and trafficking in stolen property after the victim found his own stuff in a pawn shop. The suspect has broken into a Neeve Street home last November, and the police’s Break Enter and Auto Theft (BEAT) Unit  had been investigating since January.

Traffic

A 22-year-old London man was charged with impaired operation and several driving-related offences under the Highway Traffic Act, plus his licence was suspended for 90 days after a collision last Saturday. The site was a commercial parking lot in the area of Woodlawn and Woolwich, and one of the drivers appeared nervous and had trouble answering officers’ questions. He failed a roadside screening test.

A 29-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving and his driver’s licence was immediately suspended for 90 days after police attended the scene in the area of Farley and Porter where a car was stuck in a snow bank. Officers smelled the “strong odour of alcoholic beverage on the man’s breath” and took him into custody.

Other Notes

A 46-year-old Guelph woman was charged with failing to appear after police caught up with her at an apartment building in the west end on Wednesday morning. The super reported that someone was loitering in the stairwell. The woman missed a court date on Wednesday where she was supposed to be sentenced for a dozen property crimes.

A 31-year-old Guelph woman was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing a controlled substance and two counts of breaching probation after a traffic stop Monday morning.  When police spotted a car sitting in the middle of the road near the corner of Applewood and Willow, they recognized the passenger from “prior dealings.” After discovering the woman had an outstanding warrant, police searched her and found a pair of brass knuckles and some magic mushrooms.

Total calls for service last week: 1,258

If you have any information about the crimes or incidents mentioned above, you can also call Guelph Wellington Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or post online at csgw.tips.