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.
Drugs
A 31-year-old Guelph man was charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and three counts of breaching bail orders following a trafficking investigation. Investigation revealed the arrested man was is currently on bail with conditions that he reside with his surety and remain inside the residence at all times. The apartment where he was located is not the surety’s address. A search located cocaine and crystal meth valued at $3,850, four pellet guns, two scales and cash.
A 31-year-old Etobicoke man was charged with possessing a controlled substance and obstructing police last Friday after police observed a vehicle being driven suspiciously in the area of Willow and Applewood. A 38-year-old Collingwood man was also charged with possessing a controlled substance and breaching a court order.
Fraud
A Guelph woman told police that months ago she received a text she believed was the result of a wrong number. She exchanged texts with the other person, who eventually convinced her to create accounts with various cryptocurrency agencies and began investing. She reported using various methods to send her “investments,” including wire transfers and deposits in cryptocurrency ATMs and believed that her balance had grown significantly, however when she attempted to withdraw funds was told she needed to pay substantial fees. She lost $140,000. If you think you might be a victim of any fraud, call the Guelph Police Non-Emergency line at 519-824-5154.
A Guelph man contacted police on Wednesday to report he was being extorted after communicating online with someone he believed to be a woman in another country. During the communication the other party recorded an incriminating video of the complainant and threatened to share it with his Facebook contacts unless he paid $2,000. The man did not send any money.
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 29-year-old Guelph man was charged with impaired driving, possessing a controlled substance, unauthorized possession of a weapon and several Highway Traffic Act offences on Thursday morning. During a traffic stop near Woolwich and Speedvale, the officer spoke to the driver and noted he appeared impaired by drugs, and a search of vehicle revealed a small amount of suspected crack cocaine and a contaminated pipe, plus a pair of 3D-printed brass knuckles.
A 56-year-old Fergus man was charged with impaired operation last Saturday night after police were called to a business on Speedvale Avenue East where a man was sitting in his parked vehicle showing signs of impairment. Tests revealed he had more than twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system.
Theft
A man reported he was working in his driveway at his home near Grange and Cityview just before 3 pm when two individuals in an SUV stopped and asked for directions to a church. The complainant provided the directions and in exchange the couple attempted to give him what appeared to be a gold ring and chain. The complainant said he was wearing a thick gold chain and suspected the couple were attempting to steal it. He moved away from the SUV and the pair quickly left the area. They were described as a possibly Middle Eastern male and female driving a black SUV. Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Jonathan Schleen at 519-824-1212, ext. 7570, or email jschleen [at] guelphpolice.ca.
At approximately 3:50 am on September 28, police were called to a business near Willow and Silvercreek after a man entered the store, approached the counter with a kitchen-style knife and demanded money. He took a small quantity of cash before leaving the store and running east across Silvercreek Parkway. The man was described as tall with a heavier build and glasses. He was wearing black clothing, including a hooded sweatshirt and face covering, and a blue hat. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Dylan Costello at 519-824-1212, ext. 7396, or dcostell [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 35-year-old Guelph man was charged with theft under $5,000 on Wednesday morning after officers responded to reports of two people in the area of Hands and Dooley. Officers located two people looking through property nearby and detained them and one was found in possession of a wallet stolen from a car in the area and was arrested.
A 30-year-old Guelph man was arrested for theft under $5,000 following an investigation this past summer into several individuals believed to be working together to commit commercial thefts. He is also charged with theft over $5,000, mischief under $5,000 and break and enter in two other ongoing investigations related to the theft of tools from a vehicle in August and the theft of an e-bike from the garage of an east-end home in September.
Traffic
At approximately 6:35 am on Sunday police were called to a business on Silvercreek Parkway North where witness reported a woman placed her order but then didn’t pull forward and appeared to be dozing off for several minutes. Officers arrived but the woman fled, driving erratically at a high rate of speed. The investigation is ongoing.
A 22-year-old Guelph woman was charged with making an unsafe turn after their SUV collided with a pick-up truck at Victoria and Stone Thursday. The impact caused the SUV to roll onto its roof and collide with a van stopped at the red light, causing significant damage. The driver of the pick-up was transported to hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the SUV and occupants of the van reported no injuries.
An 18-year-old Waterdown man was charged with stunt driving and speeding in a community safety zone Monday after being caught driving past the University of Guelph at 102 kilometres per hour in a posted zone.
A 42-year-old Waterloo man and 53-year-old North Dumfries woman were each charged with speeding and stunt driving after being stopped around the same time near Speedvale and Elmira. One was clocked travelling 106 kilometres per hour in a 60 zone and the other doing 104 kilometre per hour.
On Monday a 45-year-old Durham Region man was arrested by another police service for careless driving, failing to stop at an accident, driving while prohibited and driving while suspended for an October 4 collision at Clair Road West where the driver of an SUV changed lanes and side-swiped them causing significant damage before fleeing the scene.
Three pedestrians were struck by vehicles in less than two hours Wednesday afternoon. The first near Cassino and William where a man in his 20s was transferred to hospital with minor injuries after he was struck while crossing within the crosswalk. Nearly two hours later, a woman brought another pedestrian to Guelph General Hospital for treatment of facial injuries after the pedestrian was struck near Gordon and Arkell. Shortly after, a woman in her 70s was crossing within the crosswalk when she was struck by a vehicle making a left turn at Eramosa and Stevenson. That victim was transported to hospital with a possibly broken arm. Each of the drivers face charges under the Highway Traffic Act.
Other Notes
Last Friday, an employee of Stone Road Mall reported an incident that occurred the previous Tuesday at approximately 1 pm. The employee reported being outside speaking with a co-worker when they saw a man in the stairwell of the parkade who appeared to be masturbating while looking at his phone. He was described as a white male with a slim build, a buzz cut and moustache and wearing a blue tank top, jeans and brown shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Megan Heyes at 519-824-1212, ext. 7813, or email mheyes [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Total calls for service last week: 1,690
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.
