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.
Downtown
Guelph Police announced on Thursday that since they’ve increased the police presence downtown in late October, they’ve made 35 arrests with seven leading to charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act or Criminal Code. More than 25 arrests have led to warnings being issued and immediate referrals to community supports such as Welcoming Streets and IMPACT. To date officers have seized quantities of fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, crack cocaine and morphine pills, as well as drug paraphernalia and one folding knife.
Assault
A 27-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault police, failing to leave when directed and breaching a probation order on Tuesday afternoon after a family dispute in the south end involved police.
A 31-year-old Guelph woman was charged with assault with a weapon and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose Sunday morning. Two people known to each other got into an argument when the woman pulled a kitchen knife from her jacket and raised it towards the victim’s face and neck.
Break-Ins
Just before 7:30 am on Tuesday, police were called to a business near Massey and Elmira after the owner arrived to find a glass door smashed. Surveillance video showed a man walking past the business at 4:13 am and returning two minutes later with a rock, which he threw at the door repeatedly until it broke and then entered the business. Nothing was reported to be missing. The suspect was described as white, wearing a brown or tan jacket, black pants, black gloves and black shoes with white soles. He was carrying a black and orange bag. If you have any information, call Constable Konrad Babol at 519-824-1212, ext. 7189, or email kbabol [at] guelphpolice.ca.
On Friday afternoon a 39-year-old Guelph man was located downtown and arrested for break and enter, disguise with intent and two counts of breaching a probation order for a November 11 break-in at a Macdonell Street business. A backpack containing cash, business records and family photos was stolen.
Drugs
A 49-year-old Kitchener woman is charged with impaired operation, two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possessing a controlled substance, possessing a prohibited weapon and disobeying a court order after calls of a suspicious vehicle parking near Woolwich and Suffolk on Tuesday morning. A woman was unconscious in the driver’s seat and she had medical tubing in her lap which was attached to a burned glass tube. There was also a baggie of suspected crystal meth hanging out of her pocket. A search found cocaine, crack, Dilaudid pills and fresh cannabis, as well as a scale, drug paraphernalia, a debt list, cash and a knife opened by centrifugal force.
A 49-year-old Guelph man is charged with failing to attend court and possessing a controlled substance on Sunday morning. He was scheduled to appear in court of trafficking charges in June, and when he was arrested he had a small amount of suspected fentanyl on him.
Fraud
Police were contacted Thursday after a woman in her 70s reported that she received a phone call Tuesday from someone claiming to be from her bank. The caller said that her accounts had been compromised and said that a courier would attend to collect her cards and deliver new ones would be issued. After a man picked up the cards more than $13,000 was withdrawn or charged against the cards. The suspect was described as approximately 5’10” with dark skin and wearing a black and yellow high-visibility vest and medical mask and was carrying a clipboard. If you have any information call Constable Louis Kittel at 519-824-1212, ext. 7589, or email lkittel [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A man in his 50s told police that he received a message from an unknown sender inviting him to interview for a data entry position, and subsequently participated in an interview by text. Following the ‘interview,’ the man was told he had secured the job but needed specific equipment including a laptop and iPhone. He received a cheque via email and was told to deposit it to his account using a mobile app, then provided a list of vendors to whom funds should be sent to purchase the required equipment. The man lost $6,245.
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 48-year-old Guelph man is charged with impaired operation after police were called to a parking lot on Bagot Street where a vehicle was parked erratically and a man was passed out in the driver’s seat. Officers opened the door and woke the man, noting a strong odour of alcohol on his breath. He was unsteady on his feet and confused about what was going on. Tests confirmed he had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
A 37-year-old Guelph woman is charged with impaired operation and her licence was suspended for 90 days last Saturday morning when police were called to the area of Alma and Crimea. A caller reported that a vehicle had been parked on the street for more than an hour and the single occupant kept getting in and out of the vehicle and was swearing. He had more than the legal amount of alcohol in his system.
Theft
City of Guelph Bylaw officers responded to reports of an abandoned trailer near Elmira and Paisley at 8:30 am on Thursday. Surveillance video showed a red Ram pickup driving behind the business earlier in the morning while towing the trailer, which had a silver Chevrolet Silverado on it. Two men were observed driving away in the pickups. They were described as white males wearing masks over the bottom half of their faces. One was wearing a grey jacket and dark pants and the second was wearing a blue jacket, hoodie and dark pants. The trailer was originally stolen several hours earlier from outside a business on Speedvale Avenue West. If you have any information, call Constable Matthew Neault at 519-824-1212, ext. 7601, or email mneault [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 36-year-old Guelph was charged with possessing stolen property, obstructing police and failing to appear in court on Tuesday evening. While investigating a theft a Woodlawn business, police saw a man matching the suspect’s description riding a bike in the area. He was arrested after a brief foot chase.
A 38-year-old Guelph woman was charged with possessing stolen property, possessing stolen mail, theft under $5,000, five counts of unauthorized use of a credit card and failing to comply with an undertaking after an investigation by Break Enter Auto Theft Unit lead to a search warrant being executed at a home near Silvercreek and Greengate. Stolen clothing, a stolen credit card and mail was recovered. A 41-year-old Guelph woman was also charged with possessing stolen property and possessing stolen mail.
Traffic
Police are looking for the public’s help after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle Friday evening and the driver fled the scene. At approximately 5:09 pm, emergency services were called to the intersection of Goodwin and Hodgson after a black pickup truck had turned a corner and struck a 49-year-old female pedestrian. The driver then fled the scene eastbound on Goodwin and the pedestrian was transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. If you saw the collision, or have dash cam video,contact Constable Andrew Hildebrandt at ahildebrandt [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A young man was struck while riding his bike Friday night and the motorist fled the scene. The incident occurred between 5 and 5:30 pm at Gordon and Kortright. An 18-year-old was riding his bike when he was struck by a dark grey or black vehicle, possibly a Mazda. The driver was female. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has other information is asked to call Constable Michael Braga at 519-824-1212, ext. 7144, email mbraga [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Other Notes
On Monday, it was announced that a 32-year-old Guelph man is charged with mischief over $5,000 in connection to incidents downtown last week where at least 18 downtown businesses had their telephone and internet cables cut. After a photo was shared with the public on Friday, a resident recognized the man and called police, leading to an arrest. He was found to be in possession of wire cutters when he was taken into custody.
This man was further charged with theft under $5,000 and mischief under $5,000 on Wednesday morning after a man entered a business on Clair Road East, selected a bottle of alcohol valued at more than $100 and began drinking it as he walked from the store without paying. Two hours later, he was observed at St. George’s Square where he damaged a memorial and yelled at residents sitting on a nearby bench.
Total calls for service last week: 1,511
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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