Males face charges after failed auto theft
Two males face a series of charges after a failed motor vehicle theft in downtown Guelph Sunday morning.
Approximately 6:20 a.m., two males approached a vehicle parked outside a business near the intersection of Wellington Street East and Gordon Street. One of the males broke into the vehicle by punching out the lock with a screwdriver as the second male kept watch, causing approximately $1,500 in damage.
The entry caused the vehicle’s alarm to sound, drawing the attention of the owner who came outside and found one of the males sitting in his vehicle. The victim physically removed the male from his vehicle and called police, but as he attempted to follow the suspects, one pulled out a hammer and brandished it towards the victim.
The males attended another nearby business, where they unsuccessfully attempted to enter a female’s vehicle in the drive-through. They were located by police and arrested.
A 41-year-old Hagersville male and a 22-year-old Brantford male face several charges including attempted motor vehicle theft, assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possessing break-in instruments and breaching court orders. They will both appear in a Guelph bail court Tuesday.
Fake shooting report leads to charges
A Guelph female faces criminal charges after falsely reporting she was shot earlier this month.
Approximately 4:30 p.m. April 3, a 911 call was received from a female who claimed she had been shot before hanging up. More than a dozen Guelph Police Service officers as well as personnel from Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service and the Guelph Fire Department responded to the area of Waterloo Avenue and Wellington Street West but were unable to find anyone in need of assistance or signs of a struggle.
Investigation led to the identity of a female who was in the area at the time and placed the call. She was arrested downtown on Thursday morning.
A 39-year-old Guelph female is charged with public mischief and breach of probation.
Three impaired arrests over weekend
Three males were taken off the road after being arrested for impaired driving in separate incidents over the weekend.
Approximately 12:15 a.m. Friday, a vehicle was observed leaving a licensed establishment on Woodlawn Road West and driving quickly through a commercial parking lot. Officers stopped the vehicle and while speaking to the driver immediately detected an odour of alcoholic beverage on his breath.
He registered a fail on a roadside screening device and was arrested. Further testing at the police station confirmed he had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system. Investigation also revealed his driver’s licence was suspended.
A 28-year-old Puslinch male is charged with impaired operation and driving while suspended. His driver’s licence was immediately suspended again for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. He will appear in a Guelph court May 6, 2022.
Approximately 8:40 a.m. Friday, the Guelph Police Service was notified of a possibly impaired male in a vehicle on Westwood Road. A male was located in a running vehicle in a parking lot.
While speaking to the male, officers observed obvious signs of impairment and detected an odour of alcoholic beverage on his breath. He was arrested and taken to the police station, where further testing confirmed he had more than the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
A 41-year-old Guelph male is charged with impaired operation and operation while prohibited. His driver’s licence was immediately suspended again for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. He will appear in a Guelph court April 29, 2022.
Just after 3 a.m. Sunday, the Guelph Police Service was notified of an erratic driver in the downtown area. A witness reported a vehicle running a red light and narrowly missing several pedestrians. Officers located the vehicle stopped on Cork Street and noted the driver was showing signs of impairment.
The male was arrested and taken to the police station where testing confirmed he had more than the legal amount of alcohol in his system. A 24-year-old Kitchener male is charged with impaired operation. His driver’s licence was immediately suspended again for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. He will appear in a Guelph court May 6, 2022.
13 catalytic converters stolen
The Guelph Police Service is investigating after 13 catalytic converters were stolen from vehicles at a north-end dealership.
Police were called Thursday to a business on Woodlawn Road West, where staff reported the converters missing from vehicles in their storage lot. The thefts were discovered Monday, April 11, and were believed to have occurred over the previous weekend. It appears saws were used to cut through the exhaust pipes and remove the devices.
The total loss is estimated at $13,000.
Police services across North America have reported increases in thefts of the exhaust components due to valuable metals used in their construction. In Guelph there have been dozens of such thefts since the beginning of 2021.
Anyone with information about catalytic converter thefts is asked to contact Sergeant Kendall Brown of the Guelph Police Service Break Enter Auto Theft (BEAT) Unit at 519-824-1212, ext. 7110, email him at [email protected], leave an anonymous message for Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous tip online at www.csgw.tips.
Total calls for service in the last 96 hours – 856
