Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for Jan. 7 to 14:
Suspicious circumstances
• Police have received several reports of suspicious circumstances that have occurred in the 5800 block of Turnstone Crescent, Sechelt. One resident reported seeing a male in her yard late at night, while several other residents have reported two adolescent girls on their properties at various times of the day. RCMP will be increasing patrols in the area, and ask that if anyone sees anything suspicious, they call police immediately.
Scam
• On Jan. 10, a Coast resident reported a scam after a deposit she sent by Moneygram to a reputable South American tour company never reached the intended recipient. It appears that while the resident initially visited the correct website to book the tour, the site was hacked and the resident ended up communicating with the hacker. Upon closer investigation, police and the resident noted that the email address she’d been communicating with was one letter off from the correct email address of the legitimate business. The resident also advised that the hacker had requested the deposit be sent to an address in India, explaining that he was vacationing there. For more information about popular scams and how to protect yourself from falling for them, please visit sites such the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.
Thefts
• During the afternoon of Jan. 7, a thief gained entry to an unlocked vehicle parked in the 700 block of Gibsons Way, Gibsons, and stole a Motomaster tire pressure gauge, a pair of black Foster Grant sunglasses, a pair of vice-grips, and a pair of reading glasses in a brown vinyl case. A possible suspect was witnessed exiting the vehicle and is described as a stocky male with very thick orange hair, approximately five feet nine inches tall, wearing dark pants, and a plaid jacket. The file is still under investigation.
• Between Jan. 6 and 8 and then again between January 9 and 11, a thief stole lumber from a site in the 5200 block of Yacht Road, Sechelt.
Collisions
• On Jan. 11, police attended a single-vehicle incident in the 2700 block of Highway 101, Roberts Creek, after a vehicle lost control on an icy corner, went off the road and into a fence. The driver and passengers of the vehicle were all able to exit the vehicle on their own and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed off the fence, which sustained minor damage, and deemed driveable. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
• On Jan. 14, a hit and run was reported in the Langdale BC Ferries parking lot. A witness left a note containing the suspect vehicle information. Police noted the damage to the parked vehicle and the matter has been referred to ICBC.
Impaired driver
• Around 1 a.m. on Jan. 14, police pulled over a vehicle on Gibsons Way near Pratt Road. The driver, who displayed signs of intoxication, was given and failed a roadside alcohol-screening test. The 23-year-old male driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
