There are 145,000 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 going 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.

Assault

A 46-year-old Guelph man was charged with obstructing police, assault to resist arrest, public intoxication and breaching a release order after police were called to a business near Imperial and Woodlawn Friday night for an intoxicated man. The man refused to identify himself and kicked an officer in the shin while he was being arrested.

A 34-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault with a weapon, possessing a prohibited weapon, uttering death threats, possessing a controlled substance and breaching court orders. On Tuesday evening, police were called to Silvercreek and Westwood after a female tenant had been repeatedly assaulted by a visitor to her home during a social gathering. Police arrested a man hiding in the basement, and a flip knife, brass knuckles and a small amount of suspected fentanyl were found on his person.

Break-Ins

Police are looking for information about four south end break-ins that they believe are connected. Officers were called to a business near Scottsdale and Cole where they found a glass door smashed, but nothing appeared to be missing. Surveillance video revealed a male wearing a balaclava and gloves arriving in a black van or SUV before smashing the door with a rock and then kicking it. The process was repeated at a business on Stone near Edinburgh, then there was a break-in on Clair Road where a small amount of cash was stolen and another break-in on Stone Road where the whole cash register was taken. All this happened on the same day. If you have any information, all Constable Cecilia Hudecki at 519-824-1212, ext. 7215, or email her at chudecki [at] guelphpolice.ca.

Drugs

Nothing to report this week.

Fraud

Police are warning the public about yet another new scam, the Job Offer Scam. The scammers create a realistic looking online presence, use a legitimate business name and slightly alter the email address, and gather your information from employment websites where you have posted your resume. The scammers appear polite during the interview process, and then when they offer you a job they ask for things banking information, SIN number, a photo of you and your address details.

To avoid being scammed in this manner, police recommend that you follow this advice:

• Legitimate business should not ever ask you to use your own personal bank account for business purposes or transactions with clients.
• Do your research on the company, especially online based companies. Some even have a fraud a prevention page on their website. This will provide their legitimate email addresses they use, and other contact information.
• Most legitimate companies will meet with you in person at least one time.
• You should never have to provide your credit card or personal banking information for anything other than direct payroll deposits.
• You should never have to pay to get a job.
• If you do receive a transfer or bank draft, ensure it clears with your bank prior to withdrawing or transferring funds.

Theft

Police are investigating a break-in at a downtown apartment building on December 19 at 7:30 am. Two suspects used a prybar to break into about 20 mailboxes. They stole several pieces of mail and caused $2,000 worth of damage. If you have any  information call Constable Matt Simpson at 519-824-1212, ext. 7318, or email him at msimpson [at] guelphpolice.ca.

A 28-year-old Guelph woman and a 36-year-old Guelph man were charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, while the woman was also charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon and breaching probation. Police identified a stolen car on Woolwich near Eramosa early on Saturday morning and the female suspect was sitting alone in the passenger side seat. A search revealed pepper spray and a homemade conducted energy weapon on her person.

A 19-year-old Kitchener woman was charged with dangerous driving, flight from police, possessing stolen property, occupying a stolen vehicle and failing to comply with a release order after police spotted a stolen Ford Escape on Willow Road Saturday morning. Due to the icy conditions police couldn’t chase, but they eventually caught up with the car on Suffolk Street. A 31-year-old Cambridge man was also charged with possessing stolen property, occupying a stolen vehicle and breach of probation.

A 37-year-old Guelph male was charged with possession of stolen property. While police were patrolling on Carden Street, they recognized a suspect from a November 9 break-in at the downtown offices of a local organization.

Apple watches, Airpods, an iPad and Beats ear buds with a total value of more than $9,200 were stolen from a retailer in Stone Road Mall late Wednesday afternoon. If you have an information about the break-in, or the whereabouts of any of the suspects involved, call Constable Emily Richardson at 519-824-1212, ext. 7486, or email her at erichardson [at] guelphpolice.ca. Here is the description of the four suspects, all White men:

• The first was 5’10”, Spanish accent, black winter jacket, black sweatpants, black running shoes with white soles, black baseball cap with white maple leaf on the front, surgical mask.
• The second was 5’8”, heavy build, black puffy jacket, black Adidas track pants, black high-top running shoes, black hat with ear flaps, black rectangular glasses, possible cast on right wrist.
• The third was 6 feet, heavy build, white crew neck sweater with cursive writing on the front, black zip-up jacket, khaki pants, khaki running shoes, grey backpack, black baseball hat with Ford logo, black face mask.
• The fourth was 6 feet, average build, black jacket with brown fur on hood, navy blue shirt, black jeans, black high-top shoes with white soles, black baseball cap with white decal on front.

Traffic

A 38-year-old Guelph woman was charged with impaired operation, and her driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days. The woman called police to a residence in the area of Imperial and Speedvale because a man refused to get out of her car, and when police talked to her there was an obvious odour of alcohol on her breath.

A 34-year-old Guelph female is charged with refusing to provide a breath sample and careless driving, and her driver’s licence was suspended for 90 day after a car rear-ended a Guelph Transit bus at Gordon and Stone late on Friday night. The driver refused a breath sample four times.

A 57-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving, and his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days after a car went off road and collided with a parked car on James Street Wednesday evening. Witnesses reported the driver was unsteady on his feet when he exited the vehicle and he was found lying on the ground when police arrived. The suspect had more than three-times the legal amount of alcohol in his system.

A 30-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving, two counts of failing to stop at a collision and possessing a controlled substance, and his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 day. At noon on Friday, a vehicle fled a collision at Edinburgh and Wellington after running a red light and hitting another car before rear-ending another car on Edinburgh near Water and then took off again. A witness spotted him in a parking lot on Stone Road and police reported that his car had the odour of burned cannabis.

Other Notes

A 35-year-old Guelph woman was arrested and charged with theft under, false alarm of fire and mischief on Christmas Day after she allegedly removed a fire extinguisher from a hallway and pulled the fire alarm at a residential building on Paisley Road late on Christmas Eve. She had pulled the same stunt at the same building on December 15.

Total calls for service last week: 1,145

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.