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.

Missing Man Found, But It’s Not a Happy Ending

The last time anyone saw 58-year-old Charles Rudd was December 15, and almost exactly two months later his remains were found in a remote area of a city park. Guelph Police got the call that human remains were found on February 15, and the Centre of Forensic Science proved conclusively that Mr. Rudd had been found. No foul play is suspected at this time.

Man Loses $1,000 in Another Local Sextortion Scam

A man reached out to Guelph Police after he was caught up in so-called sextortion scam. He reported that he had shared nudes with a someone on a popular dating app who he thought was a woman, and they turned around and demanded a $1,000 ransom or the nudes would be released to his social media contacts. Guelph Police offer the following advice when communicating with people online:

• Do not share personal information such as birthdate or financial information with someone you have only met online.
• Watch for poorly-written or vague messages.
• Look for inconsistencies between their online profile and what they are telling you.
• Never send intimate photos. These can be used for extortion.
• Be cautious when messaging someone who claims to live close to you but is working overseas.

Man Arrested for Stolen Property, Including Police I.D.

The Guelph Police Service Break Enter Auto Theft (BEAT) Unit made another arrest in connection to an investigation that started in January. Police had received a report of a stolen Toyota SUV, which was later recovered outside of Guelph on February 3, but the investigation revealed that the vehicle was used in a break and enter in a south end condo building. The analysis of the video surveillance ultimately led police to a suspect, and they issued a search warrant on a College Avenue residence on Thursday.

A 33-year-old Guelph male faces 24 charges including two counts of break and enter, occupying a stolen motor vehicle, 10 counts of possessing stolen property, possessing break-in instruments and driving while disqualified. Among the stolen property recovered were badge and identification from two different police services, lighting equipment, laptops, tools, two sets of motor vehicle keys and various pieces of identification. You can see the haul in the image below.

Assault

A 39-year-old Guelph woman was charged with assault after police were called to a residence at Victoria Road and Clair just after midnight on Thursday. One man sustained minor injuries after a verbal argument became physical.

A 26-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault police after he kicked a police officer in the shin when staff at a business on Wellington at Gordon asked to have the man removed.

Break-Ins

Over $2,000 in tools were stolen from a construction site at Edinburgh and Crimea on Monday, a welder and auger were reported missing. If you have any information call Constable Kyle Winters at 519-824-1212, ext. 7387, email him at kwinters [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Two people broke into an apartment building near Dawson and Willow last Saturday afternoon and stole mail from the mailboxes for tenants before being confronted by the landlord and leaving the premises. If you have any information, call Constable John Hunt at 519-824-1212, ext. 7359, email him at jhunt [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Police are looking for a man described as wearing a red and black checkered coat with the hood up, navy blue snow pants, black shoes, a black backpack, black and grey gloves and riding a black mountain bike who broke into a business near Silvercreek and Willow on Monday morning and stole a quantity of cash. If you have any information call Constable Kyle Winters at 519-824-1212, ext. 7387, or email him at kwinters [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Theft

A jewellery box containing thousands of dollars with of jewellery was stolen from a house in the area of Speedvale and Delhi last Saturday afternoon. A woman decried as young and  dressed in all dark clothing walked in through the front door and took the box while the homeowner was unawares in the basement. If you have any information call Constable Kent Schneider at 519-824-1212, ext. 7164, or email him at kschneider [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 36-year-old Guelph female is charged with theft under $5,000, five counts of possessing stolen property under $5,000, possessing an identity document, possessing a credit card and three counts of breaching probation after being picked up Wednesday morning for shoplifting in the area of Woolwich and Woodlawn. When she was searched, police found identification and other documents in the names of 11 other people as well as property stolen from another nearby business.

Police are looking for a missing skid steer. It was rented from one Guelph business to another one based on Woodlawn Road, but while the renter thought it had been returned a few weeks ago, the steer, it seems, was actually stolen. If you have any information call Constable Emily Dietrich at 519-824-1212, ext. 7265, or email her at edietrich [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 28-year-old Waterloo man and 25-year-old Kitchener woman were each charged with two counts of possessing stolen property over $5,000, three counts of possessing stolen property under $5,000 and possessing a controlled substance after police spotted a Dodge Ram pickup and a Gulf Stream trailer, both of which were stolen, behind a business on Woodlawn East. A search after the arrest revealed dozens of pieces of mail, two cheques and a prescription bottle containing 73 amphetamine tablets, all in other peoples’ names.

Traffic

A white Kia Forte was stopped just before 9 pm on Thursday at Edinburgh and Sydenham, but took off down Edinburgh while the officer was exiting his car. The Kia was last seen getting on the southbound ramp to the Hanlon. If you have any information call Constable Ryan Horvat at 519-824-1212, ext. 7485, or email him at rhorvat [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 28-year-old Cambridge man was charged with impaired driving, his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days, and his mom’s car was impounded after police received reports of an intoxicated man getting into his car and driving off downtownreally early last Saturday morning.

Shortly after this incident, a patrol on College Avenue saw a vehicle driving erratically, and stopped it near the Hanlon Expressway. A 23-year-old Fergus man was charged with impaired driving, his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days and his father’s vehicle was impounded.

A 31-year-old Waterloo woman was charged with impaired driving, and her driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days last Saturday evening after her car was stopped on Elmira Road near Woodlawn. Police had received reports that the driver may have been impaired, and tests confirmed she had more than the legal amount of alcohol in her system.

A 41-year-old Guelph man was charged with two counts of driving while suspended under the Highway Traffic Act after police saw him get into an SUV at a parking lot in the area of Bagot and Willow and drive away. Police knew him to be a suspended driver.

A 52-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving and refusing to comply with a breath demand. Last Sunday night, police were called to the parking lot of a south end school were a car had been parked with the engine running for a couple of hours. The man was found asleep behind the wheel with an empty vodka bottle on the ground next to the car.

Police are looking to speak with anyone that might have witness a teenage woman being struck by a white SUV turning from Edinburgh Road South onto Waterloo on Friday morning. The teen was uninjured. If you have any information call Constable Michael Powell of the Guelph Police Service Traffic Unit at 519-824-1212, ext. 7206, or email him at mpowell [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Other Notes

A 21-year-old woman was further charged with failing to appear in court after police spotted her downtown Wednesday morning, and knowing that she was wanted for missing a court date on theft charges.

A 23-year-old Guelph man was charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, being an occupant of a stolen motor vehicle and breach of probation after he was connected to a car theft last September through DNA.

A man entered a business near Scottsdale and Stone on Monday night, and gave a staff member a note that demanded cash and told them not to call the police. The suspect left empty handed, but since attempted robbery is still a crime, police would like to find him. The suspect is described as a white male in his 40s wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, dark toque and black surgical mask. If you have any information call Detective Constable Jagdeep Atwal of the General Investigations Unit at 519-824-1212, ext. 7436, or email him at jatwal [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Total calls for service last week:  1,274

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.