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.
Be On the Lookout!
The Guelph Police want the community to be on the lookout for Medhani Yohans, 35, who is deemed a high-risk offender. He was released from custody in Toronto on July 29, and his whereabouts are presently unknown. Yohans has a history of violence that includes two stranger sexual assaults. He’s described as a black male, 5’9”, thin build, black hair and brown eyes. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and it’s not known if Yohans will or has returned to Guelph, but he has a history in Guelph dating back to 2017. Guelph Police ask that anyone who sees him, do not approach him, but rather, notify police at 519-824-1212.
Assault
A police patrol was flagged down near Victoria and Wideman on Saturday night. Investigation revealed two groups of youths were attending a gathering at Northview Park when a physical altercation ensued. During the fight, a 16-year-old girl and 18-year-old man were struck with projectiles from fireworks, causing minor injuries. The teen was also sprayed with an unknown substance. Both were transported to hospital for treatment. If you have any information, call Constable Bernardus Ptok at 519-824-1212, ext. 7552, or email him at bptok [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 55-year-old Guelph woman is charged with assault for a Tuesday afternoon incident between two neighbours at an apartment building on Woolwich near Speedvale.
A 39-year-old Guelph man was charged with possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and a 36-year-old Guelph man is charged with assault with a weapon, uttering threats and failing to comply with a release order on Tuesday afternoon. The two men were arrested after police responded to reports of one man with a hatchet chasing another man on Wyndham Street.
Break-Ins
At approximately 3:30 am Wednesday, police were called to a business near Gordon and Clair after the owners received a call from their alarm company. The glass front door was shattered, and a number of items were stolen including a cellphone, two laptops and various accessories with a total value of approximately $5,000. If you have any information, call Constable Cole Ridsdale at 519-824-1212, ext. 7546, or email him at cridsdale [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Drugs
A 39-year-old Guelph man is charged with possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, two counts of possessing controlled substances, three counts of possessing a stolen credit card, two counts of using a stolen credit card and three counts of breaching court orders. On Thursday evening, police were downtown on an unrelated matter when they identified a man who had been caught on camera earlier this week attempting to make several purchases with stolen credit and debit cards. The man was arrested and a search of his property revealed a spring-assisted knife and small amounts of suspected fentanyl and crystal meth.
Fraud
A Guelph man in his 60s reported to police last weekend that he opened an account with what he believed was a legitimate trading company and over the course of several months deposited tens of thousands of dollars into his online wallet, only to later discover the funds had been withdrawn by an unknown party. The man lost $70,000 in cryptocurrency, which, police reminds you, is very difficult to investigate and recouping losses is nearly impossible due to the anonymous nature of the transactions.
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 30-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving and his licence was suspended for 90 day after officers were patrolling downtown last Saturday at 4:30 am when they observed a vehicle swerving within and outside its lane several times and pulled it over. The driver had more than three times the legal amount of alcohol in his system.
A 53-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired operation and driving with open alcohol and his licence was suspended for 90 days just after midnight Wednesday after police responded to reports of an impaired driver near Stone and the Hanlon.
Theft
On Sunday at 3:45 m, three men stole approximately $10,000 worth of Samsung and Apple phones from a Stone Road Mall business. The three suspects were described as Middle Eastern, 20-30 years. The first had black hair, wearing a blue zip-up jacket, white shorts, black shoes and a black mask; the second wore a black shirt, white shorts, green shoes, a black baseball cap and a black mask; and the third had black hair, wearing a black graphic t-shirt, white pants, white shoes and a black mask. They probably fled the area in a grey or black Dodge Charger. Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Ryan Lue at 519-824-1212, ext. 7395, or email him at rlue [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A Trek e-bike, valued at approximately $4,000, was stolen from the front porch of residence near Dean and Gordon on Thursday morning after someone cut the lock. The bike is described as grey with waterproof storage bags and a Spiderman bell. If you have any information call Constable Jillian Crawford-Bourke at 519-824-1212, ext. 7583, or email jcrawford-bourke [at] guelphpolice.ca.
An 18-year-old Guelph man and two youths aged 17 and 15 are charged with robbery after a 14-year-old youth was robbed outside a business on Stone Road Tuesday evening. The suspects fled with the victim’s sweater, necklace, Bluetooth speaker and vape, which were all recovered, and one of the suspects apparently filmed the incident on their phone. On Wednesday, two Guelph males aged 16 and 14 were also arrested and charged with robbery.
Traffic
Just after midnight Friday, a witness reported a driver doing ‘doughnuts’ on the football field at Exhibition Park. Investigation revealed a 17-year-old had taken his mother’s car and went for a drive with a friend. The mother attended the scene to collect her vehicle and child. The investigation is ongoing.
A 46-year-old Guelph woman was charged with failing to stop at a collision on Tuesday afternoon after a witness reported a 10-year-old boy was crossing the street on his scooter when he was struck by a van that was making a turn. The driver fled the scene and later turned themselves in. The child was treated for minor injuries.
Other Notes
A 30-year-old Guelph man was charged with committing an indecent act and breaching a court order on Tuesday afternoon after a staff member at a downtown daycare chased a man watching the children play outside and later caught him hiding in the bushes and allegedly masturbating.
A 33-year-old Guelph man is charged with committing an indecent act and two counts of breaching a probation order after officers caught him masturbating in clear view of any passersby near the intersection of Wyndham and Surrey.
Total calls for service last week: 1,619
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.
Guelph Politico 