Incident report for Oct. 4 to 11:
Scam
• On Oct. 4, a Sunshine Coast resident reported almost falling for the common overpayment scam. The resident had posted an item for sale on Craigslist and received any enquiry from a potential buyer. The buyer, who appeared to be from another province, sent the seller a cheque for more than six times the posted price, along with a request to send the extra funds to someone in Colorado. The seller found this suspicious but deposited the cheque anyway. The seller also advised his bank of his suspicions who confirmed the cheque was fraudulent. The seller fortunately did not lose any funds. To learn about this and other popular scams, please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org
Shoplifting / Break and Enter
• On Oct. 4, staff at a business in the 5700 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt, reported a theft in progress. While the complainant was still on the phone with the dispatcher, the female suspect fled the scene on foot with the stolen items in her possession. Staff followed the suspect to a residence in the 5800 block of Medusa Street, Sechelt, but police determined the suspect did not live there and are continuing in their attempts to locate her. The suspect left behind her purse at the business so the stolen items were recovered. The file is still under investigation.
• On Oct. 6, a thief gained entry to a residence in the 4700 block of Whitaker Road, Davis Bay, and stole a number of items including assorted jewelry, a 32-inch television, a black Playstation 4 with white controller, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Wii, two laptops including a Mac Book, a red Nikon D5200 camera, a Nikon Nikkor lens, a black Adidas duffle bag and a jar full of loose change. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 16-6677.
Thefts from Vehicles
• On Oct. 4, a thief gained access to an unlocked vehicle parked behind a business in the 5600 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt, and stole loose change, a new bottle of Vera Wang perfume and a Garmin GPS.
• On Oct. 6, a thief gained entry to a locked vehicle parked in a parking lot in the 900 block of Gibsons Way, Gibsons, by breaking a rear passenger window. The thief appears to have been attracted by a laptop computer box that had been left in the back seat but left the box behind when it was discovered it was empty.
Hit and Run
• On Oct. 4, police attended a hit and run in a parking lot in the 5700 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt, after witnesses reported a suspect vehicle had clearly struck a parked vehicle, making loud scraping noises in the process, before driving away without stopping or leaving a note for the damage car owner. Police located the suspect vehicle and driver and confirmed vehicle damage that matched the witnesses’ account. The driver, who was not impaired, stated he thought he’d barely bumped the other vehicle. Police issued the driver a violation ticket for failing to stop after a collision. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
Impaired Driver
• Shortly after noon on Oct. 5, police pulled over a possible impaired driver on North Road in Gibsons. The 59-year-old female driver, who was exhibiting signs of impairment, failed a roadside alcohol screening test. She was subsequently detained for an impaired driving investigation, and taken to the detachment for further testing. She was issued an administrative driving prohibition, a promise to appear in court, and a 24-hour driving prohibition. The file is still under investigation.
Traffic Incidents
• Shortly after midnight on Oct. 8, a police officer observed a minivan driving in Sechelt with its muffler dragging on the ground. When the officer turned around to pull over the car, it sped up and fled to a nearby street. Police located the van unoccupied, with four people – including the registered owner – standing nearby. None would admit to driving, and all had alcohol on their breath. The van was impounded, and will be required to pass a vehicle inspection prior to being allowed to be driven again.
• Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, RCMP were called to the 11700 block of the Sunshine Coast Highway, after a vehicle slid through a curve and rolled over on the soft shoulder. The occupants were not injured, and after a tow truck righted the vehicle, it had such minimal damage that the owner was able to drive it away.
