Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for Jan. 29 to Feb. 8:
On Feb. 6, police attended a road rage incident that occurred near the intersection of Trail Avenue and Cowrie Street, Sechelt, after a pedestrian reported almost being struck by a vehicle. The vehicle driver and the pedestrian got into a verbal exchange which ended when the driver smacked the pedestrian’s cellphone out of his hand. Police took statements from the pedestrian and a witness and the file is still under investigation.
Theft
• Between Jan. 28 and 29, a suspect attempted to steal a catalytic converter off a vehicle parked in the 12900 block of Madeira Park Road, Madeira Park. The suspect fled the scene before fully removing the part, but did manage to remove and steal the roof racks and damage a door handle and lock.
• Between Jan. 30 and Feb. 5, a suspect cut off and stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in the 12700 block of Madeira Park Road, Madeira Park. The suspect also gained entry to the vehicle and stole some reusable grocery bags and a unique set of homemade jumper cables. The cables are very long and have large copper claws. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file 2021-814.
• Overnight on Feb. 2, an unknown suspect attempted to bypass the ignition to start a vehicle parked at a business in the 13500 block of Highway 101, Garden Bay. The suspect was unable to steal the vehicle. Police are still reviewing surveillance video.
• On Feb. 4, while investigating an unrelated incident, police were alerted to a theft from a business in the 5700 block of Teredo Street, after staff came out and pointed out the fleeing suspect. Police gave chase and apprehended the suspect, recovering the stolen items as well. The suspect was arrested and released on an undertaking for court on a charge for theft under $5,000. The file is still under investigation.
• Between Feb. 5 and 8, a suspect stole a bike from an unsecured storage structure in the back of a residence in the 6000 block of Sechelt Inlet Road, Sechelt. The stolen bike is described as a black and gold men’s Kona brand Dr. Dew model 12-speed touring bike. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file 2021-882.
Mischief
• On Feb. 2 and 3, a suspect broke windows at a property in the 900 block of Woodsworth Road, Gibsons. Mischief causing damage and minor thefts have been an ongoing issue in the area.
Fraud
• On Feb. 5, a Sunshine Coast resident reported a fraud after meeting someone online who, after several months of communicating, expressed a desire to come visit the complainant. The scammer convinced the resident that she could not afford the travel costs so the resident agreed to send her money in Google Play Cards to help cover the trip expenses. On the date of expected arrival, the scammer was a no-show, and the resident’s messages and phone calls to the scammer were ignored. It is likely that the person the resident thought he was communicating with doesn’t actually exist and he will not be able to recover the money spent on the gift cards. This type of romance scam is incredibly widespread and comes in many forms. To learn more about the warning signs to watch for, and other popular scams, please visit sites such as the please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.
Property Found
• On Feb. 5, a child’s bike was found behind a business in the 5500 block of Wharf Avenue, Sechelt. Owner may claim with detailed description within 90 days. Please reference police file 2021-810.
– Const. Jihan McDougall, Sunshine Coast RCMP
