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.
Community Alerts
Guelph Police are warning the community about dangers associated to a game in which youth are carrying replica firearms in an attempt to “assassinate” each other. This is after an incident last Friday night when officers went to a business at Gordon and Clair where a witness reported two young males, one of whom appeared to be holding a handgun while the second was filming on his phone. They left the area before officers arrived and were not located but over the weekend officers also observed teenagers wearing swimming goggles in public, which is said to protect the wearers from being “eliminated” from the game.
There was a second incident early Friday morning at around 1:30 am near Grange and Starwood. A caller advised that he saw someone holding a gun, though he did not know if it was real. Officers attended but the involved vehicles and people had left. Officers spoke to a number of residents, including one who identified the subjects as teenagers who were carrying realistic-looking water guns.
The popular game known as Senior Assassin involves high school students competing to “eliminate” fellow participants by shooting them with water guns or other projectiles within a specified time period. The game is played at all hours of the day and night. Many of the replica firearms look very similar to real ones, causing concern for members of the public and often prompting large police responses. Officers responding to such calls must treat them as if the firearms in question are real until proven otherwise, potentially causing safety concerns for the community including players of the game. Responding to such high-priority calls also takes officers away from other legitimate calls for service.
Last Saturday night, police became aware of a large gathering of modified pick-up trucks scheduled to be held in the city. After a previous gathering hosted by the same organizers in a neighbouring municipality, videos posted online depicted dangerous and stunt driving. The private property used for that event sustained extensive damage from burn-outs and drifting. Officers attended a south-end parking lot Saturday night where they located more than 100 trucks participating in an unsanctioned gathering. Officers interacted with the drivers and conducted vehicle inspections, which led to two trucks being taken off the road for equipment violations. Guelph Police say that they are committed to enforcing safe driving behaviour and will not tolerate such gatherings.
Assault
Just after 6:15 pm on Wednesday, police were called to a business near Willow and Dawson after two women came into the store to buy alcohol but did not have identification and left empty-handed. A short time later one of them returned, grabbed a case of alcohol and tried to flee but a struggle ensued during which the owner sustained a bite near their wrist and a small cut on their hand. The woman was described as 5’6” with blonde hair and wearing a black dress with a printed pattern. She was last seen walking down Willow Road towards Edinburgh. Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Ryan Lue at 519-824-1212, ext. 7395, or email rlue [at] guelphpolice.ca.
At approximately 12:20 pm last Saturday, police were called to Suffolk and Yorkshire where a teenage girl reported that she was waiting for a bus when the unknown man approached from behind and tried to grab her arm. She turned and looked at him before running to a nearby school for help. The man was described as having a medium build and wearing all black clothing and a black facemask. If you have any information, call Detective Constable Carson Skipper of the Guelph Police Service General Investigations Unit at 519-824-1212, ext. 7238, or email cskipper [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 38-year-old Guelph woman was charged with assault, assault with a weapon and disobeying a court order for an incident last October where a man was punched several times and then struck by a garden house by a woman that was known to him. The suspect had fled prior to police arrival and on Wednesday she was located during an unrelated call for service and arrested.
Break-Ins
Just after 1 pm on Tuesday, police were called to a home near Edinburgh and Stone. Sometime since Friday, someone had smashed through a rear glass sliding door, ransacked the drawers and closets in most rooms, and took a small amount of costume jewelry. If you have any information, call Constable Justin Garbutt at 519-824-1212, ext. 7596, email jgarbutt [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 29-year-old Niagara Falls man was charged with break, enter and mischief and breaching a release order last Friday after a property manager said that he has been showing the unit to potential tenants, and arrived to find a man sleeping in one of the beds and a large amount of mud and dirt on the floor. Investigation revealed the man is currently on bail with conditions that he remain in his residence at all times and not attend Guelph.
Fraud
On Thursday a 31-year-old Waterloo man was arrested for fraud under $5,000. The charge dates back to June 2022 when a Guelph resident hired a Waterloo company to replace his roof and paying a $4,500 downpayment to cover the cost of materials. The contractor then delayed the job several times, kept the money despite repeated requests for a refund, and ceased all contact.
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
Just before midnight last Friday, officers were called to a business on York Road, where they found an e-bike parked with the keys in the ignition and two six-packs of beer on the footrest. The driver of the e-bike appeared intoxicated and had a strong odour of alcohol on his breath, and then failed a roadside breath test.
Theft
A 24-year-old Guelph man was charged with theft under $5,000, two counts of possessing stolen property under $5,000, trafficking stolen property and wearing a disguise while committing an offence for at least three bike thefts in the area.
Theft (Auto)
At approximately 2:40 am on Tuesday police were contacted by City of Guelph Bylaw Enforcement officers after they had to tow a vehicle from a parking lot on Arkell Road after several parking tickets were issued by a private security company. Records showed that the car had earlier been reported stolen from Hamilton. If you have any information, call Constable Kelly Uskin at 519-824-1212, ext. 7599, or email kuskin [at] guelphpolice.ca.
On Friday afternoon, a 51-year-old Guelph man was arrested for possessing stolen property over $5,000 in the case of a stolen 2025 Ford Escape found in a parking lot on Waterloo Avenue last month.
A 36-year-old Guelph man was charged with taking a vehicle without consent and dangerous driving last Friday after police were called to the parking lot of the north end Walmart. A driver had lost control of an SUV, mounting a curb and colliding with a sign and tree before hitting a parked car. The owner of the SUV arrived on scene and told officers the driver did not have permission to drive it.
Traffic
A 20-year-old Cambridge man turned himself in to police on Monday and was charged with failing to stop after an accident and taking a motor vehicle without consent. Earlier this month, a Chevy Silverado pickup had collided with a hydro pole causing extensive damage near Paisley and Imperial. Officers observed blood inside the vehicle and found a wallet and several beer cans, but the driver had fled the scene. The truck itself was stolen from Cambridge.
A 21-year-old Oakville man was charged with stunt driving, speeding and careless driving last Friday night after a patrol car was stopped at a red light at Gordon and Edinburgh when a vehicle approached from behind due to its loud exhaust. A Corvette made a quick U-turn, causing the rear end to fishtail and then sped away. The officer turned around and followed the sports car, and observed it travelling at more than 100 kilometres per hour before finally pulling it over.
A 23-year-old Guelph man was charged with stunt driving and speeding last Saturday after a Nissan was clocked travelling 103 kilometres per hour in a posted 60 zone near Gordon and Maltby.
Other Notes
Shortly after 3 pm on Tuesday, a person was fatally struck by a train near the Guelph Central GO Station. Emergency services responded and the individual was confirmed deceased a short time later.
A 15-year-old Guelph boy was arrested for uttering threats Tuesday night after police became aware of threats against a local school. The student sent messages to friends that he wanted to buy a gun and “shoot up the school” but there’s no evidence the boy had a weapon or that any threat to the school existed. Police were able to identify the subject with assistance from school board officials.
On Thursday, a malfunctioning phone kept calling 9-1-1 nearly 200 times in just over an hour. Communicators were able to trace the phone to an east-end address where the phone’s owner said it was dropped in water and they had no idea the phone was auto-dialing 9-1-1.
Total calls for service last week: 1,647
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.tip.
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