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.
Suspicious Package Left at Police’s Front Door
Someone left a post-Easter gift at the front door of Guelph Police on Monday morning, which resulted in the closure of Wyndham Street South for hours and a visit from the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Explosives Disposal Unit. The suspicious package was discovered at the main door just after 8 am, and a robot detonated the package while canine units searched the area for other potential explosives. None were found, not even in the package itself, and Wyndham Street was reopened after noon.
Surveillance footage would lead police to the suspect after they saw him on video leave the package at the doors sometime around 4 am on Monday. A 55-year-old Guelph male is charged with mischief after he located downtown and arrested on Monday. He will appear in a Guelph court May 30.
Assault
Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman while waiting for a bus in the area of Paisley and Candlewood on Monday morning at 8:25 pm. The victim fled the area, but did not sustain any physical injuries as a result of the incident. The suspect is described as an older white male, possibly in his 70s, with a slim build, greying black hair and a white long goatee and wearing a grey winter jacket. Witnesses are being sought, so if you have any information call Detective Constable Ashley McArthur at 519-824-1212, ext. 7105, or email her at amcarthur [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Police are looking for a black Honda Civic that drove past a man in his 70s walking on Paisley near Elmira on Thursday evening when a man driving by fired several pellets that struck the victim in the face. The suspects were last seen heading east on Paisley toward the Hanlon and are described as two young, possibly Indian males. If you have any information, call Constable Christian Godin at 519-824-1212, ext. 7288, or email him at cgodin [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 34-year-old Guelph man was charged with assaulting a police officer, attempting to disarm a police officer, failing to comply with a release order and failing to leave a premises when directed after police were called to a home near London and Dufferin. The suspect had allegedly assaulted his brother there, and while police were talking to the brother, the suspect lunged at one officer and causing him to fall backwards while trying to grab for the officer’s conducted energy weapon. The officer sustained abrasions above his eye and on both arms.
Break-Ins
Police were called to a school near Stevenson and Speedvale on Thursday morning after someone tried to break into a portable, causing extensive damage but not gaining access. If you have any information, call Constable Jay Hall at 519-824-1212, ext. 7136, or email him at jthall [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 44-year-old Cambridge man was charged with break and enter and unauthorized possession of a weapon early on Friday after breaking into a commercial compound on Clair Road in order to cur wire from a large spool. The suspect had a spring-assisted knife in his pocket when police searched him.
Drugs
A 29-year-old Guelph man was charged with trespass by night, two counts of possessing a controlled substance, breach of probation and failing to comply with a release order after police were called to a home on Elizabeth Street near Huron after a report about a man on the roof.
A 20-year-old Guelph man is charged with possessing a controlled substance, operating an unsafe vehicle and operating a vehicle with an improper muffler Wednesday morning after his loud muffler drew attention from police near Gordon and Surrey. A search revealed more than $2,900 cash in his pocket as well as suspected prescription opioid tablets.
A 26-year-old Guelph woman was charged with possessing weapons for a dangerous purpose, three counts of possessing controlled substances for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of breaching probation, three counts of failing to comply with a release order and failing to appear in court. Police had originally stopped her Sunday morning for an outstanding warrant, but a search revealed three knives, drug paraphernalia and approximately $1,000 worth of suspected fentanyl.
For nearly a year, Guelph Police have been investigating “Project Hammer”, including one drug buy where undercover officers purchased more than three kilograms of cocaine and significant amounts of MDMA and psilocybin. The investigation started in May 2022 when police received information about controlled substances being offered for sale via a social media account.
On Tuesday, search warrants were executed on two addresses in Guelph and three in Toronto. The searches recovered more than two kilograms of suspected cocaine and large quantities of suspected psilocybin, MDMA, LSD tablets and Oxycodone pills. Also recovered was more than $236,000 in cash and a loaded handgun. (See photo above.)
A 22-year-old Guelph man was charged with 13 counts of trafficking a controlled substance, and a 20-year-old Guelph man was charged with trafficking a controlled substance. From Toronto, a 28-year-old man was charged with eight counts of trafficking a controlled substance, four counts of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, possessing proceeds of crime over $5,000 and several firearms offences, and a 25-year-old woman was charged with possessing proceeds of crime over $5,000.
Fraud
A Guelph woman bought $5,000 in Apple gift cards from three different business for a total of $15,000, and then she gave the pin numbers to man who sent her a message on her computer claiming to be from Microsoft technical support. Guelph Police reminds everyone to be vigilant and cautious whenever you are speaking with someone you don’t know, especially online or over the phone.
If you think you might be a victim of any fraud, call the Guelph Police Non-Emergency line is 519-824-5154, or contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at their website.
Impaired Driving
A 38-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving, and his driver’s licence was immediately suspended for 90 days after police were called about an impaired driver in the west end. Testing allegedly revealed that the man had more than three times the legal limit in his system.
A 21-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving, driving without a licence and novice driver having alcohol in his system, plus his driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days after he was seen driving through a stop sign on Fife Road near Elmira. The vehicle then made a wide turn into the oncoming lane and almost struck the curb before swerving back into the proper lane.
Theft
Just after midnight last Friday morning, four males in black clothing and masks were seen at a Southgate Drive business in a beige or gold Dodge Caravan when pried open a rear door and loaded a large amount of electrical cable into the van. The cable has an estimated value of $15,000 to $20,000. If you have any information, call Constable Melissa Anthony at 519-824-1212, ext. 7487, or email her at manthony [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Police released images of three suspect who attempted to carjack a woman at 11:30 pm on April 6 outside a business on Gordon and Clair. The suspects were described as three black males. One was wearing a black track suit, one was wearing black track pants and a white hoodie and the third was wearing a dark sweater and pants. All three were wearing surgical masks. The trio were able to take the woman’s wallet and phone, but they were unable to get her car. Check out the pictures and if you have any information, call Detective Constable Kyle Winters at 519-824-1212, ext. 7387, email kwinters [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Traffic
Police recovered two different Lexus vehicles stolen from Peel Region, a 2023 Lexus RX taken from Brampton and a 2021 Lexus RX stolen from Mississauga. An employee at a Southgate Drive business called police after noticing that the cars had been left at the back of the parking lot for more than a day. The vehicles were seized for forensic examination, but if you have any information call Constable Michael Nixon at 519-824-1212, ext. 7028, or email him at mnixon [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 42-year-old Guelph man was issued a $490 ticket for failing to proceed with caution for a stopped emergency vehicle after coming within a metre of the an OPP vehicle that was conducting a traffic stop on the Hanlon near Laird. The driver was also technically speeding, doing 90 kilometres per hour in an 80 zone.
Other Notes
A 48-year-old Guelph man was charged with two counts of committing an indecent act after he drove by the same business at Woodlawn and Imperial twice on last weekend while committing the unspecified indecent act.
After showing up at Guelph Police headquarters to report a missing cellphone on Wednesday, a man was put under arrest for failing to appear in court on charges including break and enter, unauthorized use of a credit card, breaching probation and, obviously, failing to appear in court
A 40-year-old Guelph man was charged with six counts of mischief under $5,000 and resisting arrest after a “vandalism” spree last Friday evening. Police were called to an address near Willow and Dawson where a man was allegedly using a piece of wood to damage the window of a home. He also damaged two nearby businesses, torn the side mirror off a vehicle and threw a table through a window at a different residence causing damages in excess of $2,000.
Police have arrested a suspect for a fire set at a downtown apartment building lat month and an additional fire at an east end business 10 days later. A 31-year-old Guelph woman was arrested on Thursday and charged with arson with disregard for human life, arson causing damage to property and breaching probation.
Just before midnight on March 12, firefighters responded to a Wyndham Street North building, which was evacuated after the fire was located in the basement. At the time, a woman was found in the stairwell and it’s believed that she was illegally living in the basement. On March 22 at 6 am there was another fire, this time in a flower bed on a wooden patio at a business near York and Victoria. That fire only cause minor damage.
Police Board Meeting this Week
The monthly Guelph Police Services Board is this Thursday, April 18, at 2:30 pm. You can see the agenda here, and then tune in to the meeting on the Guelph Police YouTube page.
Total calls for service last week: 2,113
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.
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