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.
Special Appeal!
The Guelph Police Service is appealing to anyone who may have mistakenly picked up riding gear that had been stolen from a vehicle. Late last Thursday or early Friday, an equestrian bag and gear were stolen from a vehicle in the Exhibition Park area. The property was later discarded by the thief about a block away, and a neighbour collected the items and placed them against a tree. By the time word got back to the owner the items were missing again, possibly taken by someone who thought they were free items being given away. The missing items are a purple nylon bag with a diamond pattern, brown riding boots, a black helmet with visor, gloves and rubber-coated spurs. If anyone has the property or more information about its whereabouts, they are asked to call Constable Todd Van Iersel at 519-824-1212, ext. 7557, or email tvaniersel [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Assault
On Thursday, a 60-year-old Toronto man was contacted by phone and agreed to turn himself in later in. He was charged with sexual assault for an April 9 incident in the west end where a a Guelph woman in her 20s was walking her dog was touched inappropriately. Earlier this week, the victim received a text from the male after he was able to obtain her phone number online.
Break-Ins
Just before 9:30 am last Saturday, police were called to a business near Edinburgh and Municipal after the manager arrived to find the front door smashed. Security video showed a man using a small hammer to smash the door and gain entry just before 4:30 am. He checked both cash registers and left after finding them empty. The suspect was described as white, wearing all black with a white design on the thigh and red markings on his shoes. He was also wearing a face mask, sunglasses, a backpack and a black hat under a hood. If you have any information call Constable Liam O’Hanlon at 519-824-1212, ext. 7608, or email iohanlon [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Drugs
Nothing to report.
Fraud
Police are warning the public to be aware of possible distraction thefts, after a resident was approached near Edinburgh and Carrington Wednesday afternoon. He was called over by the occupants of a vehicle where a woman in the passenger seat leaned out and tried to put a gold necklace around his neck. The resident knew this was a common tactic in distraction thefts and left the area. He described all three parties as Middle Eastern, including a male and female in their 40s and a female possibly in her 70s who was asleep in the back seat. They were driving a grey newer Mazda 6 and told the complainant they were from Kitchener. If you have any information call Constable Megan Lackenbauer at 519-824-1212, ext. 7609, or email mlackenbauer [at] guelphpolice.ca.
On Monday, a man in his 80s reported he clicked on a Facebook ad which appeared to feature Premier Doug Ford promoting a mutual fund account. This opened a chat, through which the man was convinced to “invest” more than $15,000 over the next week through e-transfers and credit card payments. The Government of Canada and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre have been warning residents recently about a surge in “deepfake” frauds thanks to the growing abilities of artificial intelligence. Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. Even if no financial loss has been sustained, interactions can still be reported to the CAFC.
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 attheir website.
Impaired Driving
A 29-year-old Guelph woman was charged with impaired driving Monday evening after police were called for a report of several women fighting on Exhibition Street. Investigation revealed three women were driving when a passenger began punching the driver. The driver pulled into a driveway, but did not put the vehicle in “park” so when she got out it rolled into the street. The driver had more than the legal amount of alcohol in her system.
A 25-year-old Mount Forest man was charge with impaired driving and refusing to provide a sample last Saturday evening after a bus stopped to let passengers off at Gordon and Monticello and was struck from behind by a Subaru Impreza. Officers spoke to the driver and noted he was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech, and they found a glass pipe and empty pill bottle inside his pants.
A 33-year-old Oakville man was arrested for impaired driving after he was stopped on Gordon Street last Saturday morning for driving with an invalid licence plate. This was after a hit and run collision at Downey and Woodland Glen where the driver fled the scene, but left his licence plate behind.
Theft
The manager of a business near Regal and Curtis reported that two men in a cube truck stole scrap metal from their yard on June 15. The metal consisted of 45- and 50-gallon steel drums crushed down to about 30 centimetres in height. The business also had a similar theft in April and the complainant believes the same men were involved. The total loss to the company is estimated at $2,500. Anyone who recognizes the men in the below photos or has other information is asked to call Constable Todd Van Iersel at 519-824-1212, ext. 7557, email tvaniersel [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Police are investigating after thousands of dollars worth of tools and copper wire were stolen from a Clair Road West construction site on Thursday morning. Two utility trailers and a storage container were entered overnight and a large quantity of tools and wire stolen. If you have any information, call Constable Scott Wright at 519-824-1212, ext. 7330, email swright [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Theft (Auto)
On Tuesday morning, a resident near Willow and Guelph woke to find his silver 2014 Jetta missing from the driveway. Security video showed a man stealing the car just after 2 a.m. He was described as a younger white man wearing a black t-shirt, grey and black cap and a necklace. If you have any information call Constable Anthony Hall at 519-824-1212, ext. 7582, email anthall [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Shortly after noon on Monday, police located a blue Subaru Crosstrek parked near London and Bagot. The vehicle had been stolen earlier in the morning from an address just outside Guelph, but the licence plates attached had been stolen from an address near downtown. The owner of the licence plates provided security video which showed a young man swapping the plates approximately 7 am Monday. Someone driving the stolen Toyota had also fled from Hamilton Police Monday morning. The investigation is ongoing.
Sunday afternoon, a Guelph man reported his brown 2010 Chevrolet Equinox was missing. He had left it outside a business near Willow and Dawson last Saturday night, and came back the next day to find it missing. If you have any information, call Constable Jessica Belcastro at 519-824-1212, ext. 7287, or email jbelcastro [at] guelphpolice.ca.
The manager of a business on Speedvale Avenue West called police to report the theft a trailer on Tuesday at approximately 3:35 am. A woman drove into the lot in an older model Land Rover or Range Rover, backed it up to an empty trailer and hooked it up. The trailer was towed to a different area of the parking lot and unhooked from the SUV and then two hours later she returned with a man who was driving a silver sedan. They hooked the trailer to the SUV and left the scene. The woman was described as white, average height, blonde hair and wearing denim shorts and a black tank top while the man was white and wearing red shorts, a black tank top and backwards baseball cap. The trailer was white with two axles and U-Haul markings on it. If you have an information call Constable Anthony Hall at 519-824-1212, ext. 7582, or email anthall [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Traffic
A 48-year-old Brampton man was charged with dangerous driving and driving without insurance for an incident earlier this month were police spotted an an erratic driver in the area of York and Victoria that sped away, ran a red light, and was last seen speeding towards the University of Guelph campus. The driver was identified through investigation and was arrested Thursday by another police service.
A 30-year-old Guelph man wAs charged with dangerous driving, flight from police, stunt driving and speeding. After noon on Monday, police conducting speed enforcement on Clair clocked a car travelling at 115 kilometres per hour in a 50 zone and then ran a red light at Gosling Gardens. He later turned himself into police.
A 27-year-old Guelph man was charged with public mischief, dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident last Saturday morning after he crashed his car into a fire hydrant on Stevenson Street North after midnight, and then went to police to report it stolen. Surveillance video showed the man getting into his car Friday night and driving away from the bar approximately 90 minutes before the collision.
Other Notes
Just before 10 am last Friday, police were called to a school near Downey and Ptarmigan. Three Grade 3 students reported they were playing soccer in the schoolyard at around 8:20 when an older woman approached them, asked why there were no adults supervising them and suggested they wait in her vehicle. The boys ran inside and told a teacher. The woman was described as white, in her 70s and wearing a green shirt, black shorts, a white hat and sunglasses. None of the boys reported seeing a vehicle. If you have any information, call Constable Michael Nixon at 519-824-1212, ext. 7028, or email mnixon [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 30-year-old Guelph man was charged with breaching a bail order, breach of probation, failing to attend court and resisting arrest on Wednesday morning. Officers on patrol downtown saw a man lying on a bench and knew him to be breaching a bail order, which required him to be in his residence at all times unless accompanied by a support worker. Further investigation revealed he had also missed a court date on Tuesday.
A 35-year-old Guelph man was arrested Wednesday for failing to comply with a bail order and breaching a probation order following a complaint about a suspicious person at a west-end apartment building. During their investigation they located a man who had been released on bail Monday with a condition not to attend that address. He had been arrested in April after 16 vehicles in the building’s parking lot had tires slashed.
Total calls for service last week: 1,821
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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