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.
Homecoming!
Police posted an update this week about the rounding up of offenders during Homecoming back in September. To date, investigators have identified 12 individuals, ranging in age from 17 to 21, who they believe were involved in dangerous and illegal behaviour that put people and property at risk. Each is charged with assault with a weapon, causing a disturbance and two counts of mischief. One of the men also faces an additional charge of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon. Investigators are still working to identify several more people seen in videos from the gathering. Their photos can be viewed at the police website. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may follow. Anyone who recognizes someone pictured or has video or information about criminal or dangerous activity during the gathering is asked to contact Detective Constable Cameron Keddie at 519-824-1212, ext. 7431, or ckeddie [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Assault
The Guelph Police Service is attempting to identify two individuals involved in a physical altercation late Monday to check their wellbeing. Just after 11 p.m. a resident near Paisley and Edinburgh reported a man and woman involved in an altercation at a bus stop. Officers arrived a short time later but were unable to locate the involved parties, described as a tall male with “bushy” hair and a shorter female with long dark hair and dark clothing. Anyone with information is asked to call Sergeant Kevin Ketteringham at 519-824-1212, ext. 7513, or email kketteringham [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Just before 1 am on Sunday, police were called to Kortright and Rickson after an Uber driver said he had three passengers in his vehicle when three young men began hitting the windows, causing one of them to break. The complainant got out of the vehicle and was punched repeatedly by the three suspects, who then fled the area. The first was described as black, 5’9” and wearing a red shirt, gold chain and a bandage under his eye. The second was white, 5’11” and wearing a skeleton costume and face paint, while the third was white, 5’7” and wearing a black zip-up sweater. Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Abdullah Eidokheil at 519-824-1212, ext. 7415, or email aeidokheil [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 19-year-old Guelph man was arrested for assault causing bodily harm another man was repeatedly punched and kicked inside a downtown business just before midnight on Thursday. Investigation revealed several men were involved in a physical altercation, during which one had his head slammed on a counter rendering him unconscious. While the victim was lying on the floor he was punched several times in the face and head and stomped on repeatedly. He was transported to hospital for treatment.
An 18-year-old Guelph man was charged with assault with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and possessing a prohibited weapon following a disturbance Wednesday evening at a south-end group home. A resident pointed a knife at an employee and ran at him.
Break-Ins
Just before 3 am on Wednesday, two men arrived in grey or silver newer Lexus SUV at a business near Speedvale and Edinburgh, and using a prybar to gain entry to the business and locked product cabinets inside. They were described as:
- White male, black baseball cap, headlamp, black hoodie (possibly Realtree) black pants, gloves, white Adidas shoes
- White male, black baseball cap with sticker on the brim, headlamp, black Reebok hoodie, black gloves with white markings, black pants, carrying a large black and yellow folding bag and yellow prybar
Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Nick Dowe at 519-824-1212, ext. 7602, or email ndowe [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Three men aged 38 to 45 were arrested Wednesday for break and enter, mischief and breaching a probation order after they were found living in a vacant church downtown. Investigation revealed they had created a makeshift campsite inside the building, with evidence of several fires having been set which caused extensive damage including large holes burned in the floor. One of then men is also charged with weapons offences after a spring-assisted knife was located, and another is charged with obstructing police after he refused to provide his name.
Two Guelph men – aged 44 and 37 – and a 36-year-old Guelph woman were charged with break, enter and commit mischief, possessing break-in instruments, possessing stolen property under $5,000 and breaching court orders last Friday morning after police were called about suspicious activity at a house near Whitelaw and Shoemaker and found a side door which had been forced open. In the house, drywall had been removed from many of the walls to expose wires, which were then removed and stripped to access the copper inside. A large quantity of suspected stolen property including jewelry, phones and a car key was recovered.
Fraud
Police are reminding people to be cautious when searching for a rental after receiving a report of fraud involving a rental listing. Police were told a renter paid money upfront for a room that was not actually available. The investigation is continuing. Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a rental scam should stop communicating with the person, keep all messages and payment records and report it to the Guelph Police Service at 519-824-1212 or online.
A Guelph man called police to report he was contacted by phone and told he had won the $850,000 second prize in Lotto 6/49. The caller told the man he had to pay taxes, insurance and a “police escort fee” for delivery of the winning cheque. He was instructed to load money onto pre-paid credit cards and provide the card numbers. He lost approximately $20,000 before realizing it was a scam.
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.
Theft
Police are investigating after they received reports that a man sprayed people with what is believed to be pepper spray while leaving a north-end store with stolen merchandise Tuesday evening. Two people were treated for exposure. If you were in the store at the time and may have been exposed to the airborne substance or has information about the incident, plus anyone with dashcam footage showing the man leaving the store or in the area is asked to contact Constable Emma Turney at 519-824-1212, ext. 7438, or eturney [at] guelphpolice.ca.
A 52-year-old man was also arrested for theft under $5,000 for the theft of more than $4,600 worth of merchandise at the Scottsdale LCBO where pepper spray was discharged into the face of a customer that tried to intervene. Two men were arrested earlier this year for theft under $5,000 and assault with a weapon.
On Wednesday a 39-year-old London man was arrested for possessing stolen property over $5,000, dangerous driving, flight from police and failing to stop after an accident for an incident last May. While three men were in a storm on Stone Road apparently stealing cellphones, their getaway driver, who was behind the wheel a stolen vehicle, rammed into a police cruiser and fled the scene. The driver was identified during the ongoing investigation.
Theft (Auto)
A grey Toyota SUV was reported stolen from the parking lot of a residential building in the area of Starwood and Watson on Monday evening and discovered it was missing Tuesday evening. Police are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or noticed suspicious activity in the area between Monday evening and Tuesday evening to contact Constable Frazer McCrindle at 519-824-1212, ext. 7327, or fmccrindle [at] guelphpolice.ca.
Traffic
Just before 10 pm last Saturday a Guelph Police Service Traffic officer was patrolling on Macdonell Street when they saw a car driving towards them with a man sitting on the roof and waving his arms at large crowds of pedestrians. The 27-year-old driver was charged with stunt driving and failing to provide his driver’s licence and the 22-year-old passenger faces two charges under the Highway Traffic Act.
Other Notes
On Sunday, a Kitchener resident called the Guelph Police after her child had been trick-or-treating in the Applewood Crescent area Saturday night with friends. While looking through the candy the complainant reported she found what appeared to be the end of a construction-style knife blade in the seam of a chocolate bar wrapper. It is not known where the child received the candy.
A 67-year-old Guelph man was charged with failing to appear after he went to the police station to pick up a lost passport. Turns out he was the subject of a nearly four-year-old bench warrant for missing court dates on impaired driving charges.
A 21-year-old man from Richmond Hill was charged with voyeurism in connection with a voyeurism incident at a University of Guelph change room on last week. Security footage and other information helped investigators identify a suspect, who was arrested Tuesday.
A 36-year-old Guelph man was charged with six counts of breaching probation orders and two counts of uttering death threats on Monday after being arrested on two outstanding warrants by the OPP. He was transported to the Guelph Police station, where he repeatedly uttered threats against one of the arresting officers, including a threat to shoot him.
A 47-year-old Guelph man was charged with committing an indecent act after a man was observed masturbating on Carden Street near the transit terminal last Friday evening. He also got into verbal altercations with several people who yelled at him to stop.
Total calls for service last week: 2,103
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.
