Incident Report for July 28 to Aug. 2
Impaired collision
• Shortly after 6:30 p.m. on July 30, police were called by someone who witnessed a possible impaired driver in the 5600 block of Mintie Road in Halfmoon Bay. The driver was observed to have slurred speech and open liquor in his car. He quickly backed up, striking a dumpster and tearing off part of his vehicle’s chrome grill. The suspect then drove off, but returned again to retrieve his grill. Police located the 35-year-old driver from Powell River and confirmed he was exhibiting signs of impairment. He was arrested for impaired driving and had his vehicle impounded. He was released on a promise to appear in Sechelt provincial court.
Mischief / Thefts
• Overnight on July 26, a vandal threw a brick through the front window of a residence in the 5400 block of Wharf Road, Sechelt, smashing it out completely. The vandal doesn’t appear to have entered the premises and nothing appears to have been stolen. The file is still under investigation.
• On July 27, at approximately 11 a.m., a thief stole a Canon Powershot Sx200IS model digital camera from a kayak that was docked in the 12700 block of Warnock Road, Madeira Park.
• On July 27, BC Ferries staff reported a theft of a Helly Hansen jacket from their on-board gift store. Police are reviewing video surveillance footage.
• On July 27, a male suspect stole a cell phone belonging to a staff member of a business in the 800 block of Gibsons Way, after distracting the staffer with a request for help with an item. A customer who came into the business was told of the theft and the customer went outside to approach the suspect. The suspect, who initially offered to sell the customer the stolen phone, returned the phone which was then given back to the owner. However, after the suspect left the scene, the owner discovered that the SIM and memory cards had been removed. Police are reviewing surveillance video footage and the file is still under investigation.
• Between July 21 and 27, a suspect attempted to gain access to a vehicle parked in the 5700 block Teredo Street, Sechelt, by prying the door. No actual entry was gained and nothing was stolen, but the door and handle were damaged.
Hit and runs
• On July 27, police attended a hit and run incident in the 5500 block of Periwinkle Lane, Sechelt, after a vehicle struck and damaged a wooden hydro pole. A witness was able to note the vehicle information before the driver fled the scene. The file is still under investigation.
• On July 28, staff at a business in the 5600 block of Cowrie Street, Sechelt, reported a hit and run after a vehicle backed out of a parking stall and struck an empty parked vehicle before driving away. Police located the driver (the registered owner) at his residence and noted the driver was not impaired but due to possible medical issues, a request for a driver’s licence review will be sent to Road Safety BC.
• On July 28, a witness reported a hit and run involving a southbound vehicle on Highway 101 at Selma Park Road, Sechelt, that hit the side view mirror on a commercial vehicle parked on the side of the road.
Police located the suspect vehicle and the driver admitted he’d hit the parked vehicle because he felt squeezed between on-coming traffic and the parked vehicle. The suspect driver’s vehicle’s side view mirror sustained damage in the incident, but the driver advised he didn’t believe he’d caused any damage to the other vehicle so didn’t believe he needed to stop and leave a note for the other driver.
The driver was issued a violation ticket for failing to stop when in an accident resulting in damage to property. Police are still attempting to locate the commercial vehicle that was damaged in the incident.
Scam
• On July 28, a Coast resident reported a popular scam after someone purporting to be from a law firm representing Publisher’s Clearing House contacted him to advise he had won a large prize. The scammer advised the resident a cheque was being held at customs and would need to be insured before it could be released. The caller told the resident he needed to pay $2,000 to insure and then he would receive his cheque. The scammer provided the resident with a contact at Canada Revenue Agency to confirm his win. This type of scam is very popular, and while there are differences in the details, there are many common recognizable elements to be watchful for. To learn more about this and other scams, see www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org
