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 42-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breaching a probation order on Monday morning after a man in his 60s confronted a panhandler who previously was asking for change while holding a knife and told him to leave the area. The man pulled out a hunting-style knife, opened it and waved it at the victim while uttering threats.
A 16-year-old Guelph girl was charged with possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault and two counts of breaching court orders on Friday evening after residents in the area of Metcalfe and Emma reported a disturbance between a male and female known to each other. The girl then walked up and down the street with the knife in her hand while yelling and swearing.
A 22-year-old Guelph man and 16-year-old Cambridge boy are each charged with two counts of assault after two security officers were attacked Saturday evening at Stone Road Mall. The two suspects were asked to remove their hoods per mall policy. When they refused they were escorted out of the mall where the assault took place. The man was also charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking after quantities of suspected crack cocaine and cash were found on his person.
A 35-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault with a weapon and mischief under $5,000 after police were called to an address near Victoria and Arkell on Sunday. One of the men parked his vehicle too close to the other’s driveway, prompting a brief physical altercation, an escalation of an argument about the placement of garbage bins. While the man moved his vehicle to another spot, the neighbour retrieved a hammer and smashed several windows of another vehicle in the victim’s driveway. When the victim approached he held the hammer over his head in a threatening manner, however the victim was able to wrestle him to the ground and detain him until police arrived.
Break-Ins
At approximately 4:50 am on Wednesday, a security company called police to report the break-in at a business near Woodlawn and Arrow. Two men had attached a chain to an SUV and used it to pull open the front door, shattering the glass in the process. A large number of smoke detectors and electrical breakers were reported missing. The first suspect was wearing a dark grey sweatshirt over a blue or green shirt, grey baseball cap, black pants and black shoes with white soles. The second was wearing a light grey sweatshirt, black pants, dark shoes with white soles, red gloves and a ball cap. They were driving a black Ford Explorer. If you have any information, call Constable Brad Townsend at 519-824-1212, ext. 7135, or email btownsend [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Just before 1 pm on Monday the owner of a business near Silvercreek and Willow called police after he arrived to find two large windows smashed. He noted no entry was gained as he added enhanced security features following an earlier break and enter. Security camera footage showed a man with his face covered approaching the business just after midnight. He used an unknown tool to smash the windows, then sprayed something believed to be a fire extinguisher up towards the security cameras. The incident is under investigation so if you have any information call Constable Louis Kittel at 519-824-1212, ext. 7589, or email lkittel [at] guelphpolice.ca.
On Friday evening, police were called to a business near Grange and Victoria after sometime the previous night the business was entered by breaking the lock on a rear door and prying it open. The alarm panel was disabled, preventing the monitoring company from being notified. A quantity of cash was stolen. If you have any information, call Constable Matt Ball at 519-824-1212, ext. 7525, email mball [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Drugs
Nothing to report.
Fraud
A 48-year-old Guelph man was charged with four counts of fraud over $5,000, 17 counts of uttering a forged document and nine counts of identity theft for allegedly misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars over a five-year period. Between 2019 and 2024, the man allegedly impersonated clients to secure unauthorized loans, accepted funds for fake loans without investing them as agreed, and claimed borrowers were unable to keep up with loan repayments leading to some investors with significant financial losses. Police is aware of several victims and losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The investigation is ongoing.
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 74-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving on Wednesday afternoon after a witness reported that a blue SUV being was driven on the wrong side of the road and into oncoming lanes at York and Elizabeth. Tests revealed he had more than twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system.
A 34-year-old Guelph man was arrested for impaired driving and dangerous driving last Friday morning after police were called to a single-vehicle collision on Woolwich near London where a car had struck a hydro pole.
A 46-year-old Guelph woman was charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving on Sunday evening after police were called to a parking lot at Scottsdale and Ironwood about a car with extensive damage. The driver had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system.
Theft
A 42-year-old Guelph man was charged with two counts of robbery, three counts of mischief under $5,000, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, breach of probation and failing to comply with a release order early Friday after several incidents. Police received reports around 2:30 am about a man striking passing vehicles with a shovel at Victoria and Speedvale, and then steal products from a store near Victoria and Eramosa, and trying to steal beer from a store at Speedvale and Stevenson.
Theft (Auto)
A 27-year-old Montreal man was charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, possessing stolen property under $5,000, resisting arrest, wearing a disguise while committing an offence, possessing break-in instruments, possessing an auto master key and five counts of breaching a bail order on Monday night. He was arrested while police were sitting on a stolen 2024 Toyota Sequoia SUV parked near Victoria and Ingram. The licence plates on the Land Rover he was driving were stolen, and a search revealed tools including pliers, a window breaker, unlock kit and a saw. Officers also recovered blank car keys and a scanning device which could be attached to a vehicle’s diagnostic system. Investigation revealed the arrested man is on bail with a condition to reside with his surety in Montreal and not to attend the Province of Ontario or occupy the driver’s seat of a vehicle.
Traffic
Just after 4 pm last Friday at Alma and Paisley, a Guelph couple were walking with their three-year-old daughter in a stroller when all three were struck by a pickup in the crosswalk. All three were transported to Guelph General Hospital where the mother, a 38-year-old Guelph woman, succumbed to her injuries. Her 38-year-old husband was treated for minor injuries and released. Their daughter was airlifted to a Hamilton trauma centre as a precaution and was released from hospital the same night. The driver, a 19-year-old male from Northern Ontario, remained on scene and was not physically injured. The collision remains under investigation. If you have any information, call Constable Todd Weinstein at 519-824-1212, ext. 7185, or email tweinstein [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 66-year-old Guelph woman has been charged with careless driving after an incident last Friday evening at the above mentioned collision investigation at Paisley and Alma. The driver went around large “Road Closed” signs, around police vehicles and past officers yelling at her to stop, then entered the collision scene and collided with a tripod-mounted 3-D scanner being used in the investigation and rendering it inoperable.
A 37-year-old Guelph man has been charged with careless driving causing death for the August 29 collision of a cyclist and a garbage truck at Elmira and Massey.
Other Notes
At approximately 8 am on Monday, a 13-year-old girl was walking on Alma Street North when she was approached by a man on a bicycle who said she was pretty and began following her. The girl ignored him and continued walking until she met up with a younger friend. The man continued following and at one point rode towards them while making an obscene gesture. He was described as in his 20s with brown skin, wearing all black and speaking with possibly an Indian accent, and was last seen near Willow and Dawson. If you have any information, call Constable Maggie Pickard at 519-824-1212, ext. 7440, email mpickard [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 27-year-old Guelph man is charged with failing to comply with a release order and breach of probation after setting a fire in a dumpster in a plaza at Woodlawn and Woolwich. The suspect was on bail with a condition not to possess a lighter or other device to produce a flame.
Total calls for service last week: 1,645
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 