Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for Jan. 29 to Feb. 5:
Theft and Mischief
• Between 10 p.m. on Jan. 29 and 4 a.m. on Jan. 30, a thief gained entry to a work yard in the 5900 block of Mason Road, Sechelt, by cutting through a chain-link fence off Wigard Street. The thief then unbolted and stole a Fill-Rite electric fuel pump off a Tidy Tank. The red fuel pump unit also had an amber filter housing and an approximately 50-foot-long black hose attached. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 2018-607.
• On Feb. 1 around 10:45 a.m., a motorist reported a male attempting to pry off a tall, narrow Bus Stop sign at the stop on the north side of Highway 101 at Nestman Road, Sechelt. The male, described as a slim Caucasian between five feet 10 inches and six feet tall wearing a hooded camo jacket and tan pants, was with a female with long, dark hair in a black hoodie. Police attended the location shortly after and noted the sign missing from the telephone pole it was attached to but were unable to locate the suspects, who are believed to have gotten on a bus. Anyone with any information about this mischief is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 2018-658.
• On the afternoon of Feb. 3, police attended a shoplifting report at a business in the 900 block of Gibsons Way, Gibsons, after staff witnessed a male suspect take a large bottle of alcohol and leave without paying. The suspect is described as a late 20-something Caucasian male with a skinny build who was wearing a dark blue hat, a red and orange jacket and light blue jeans. Patrols for the suspect were negative but police are reviewing video surveillance footage. The file is still under investigation.
• Between Feb. 3 and 5, a suspect damaged two vehicles parked behind a business in the 5500 block of Inlet Avenue, Sechelt. The suspect removed one fuel cap door completely and attempted to pry off a second fuel cap, but in both cases, no fuel was actually stolen.
• On the afternoon of Feb. 2, a thief stole a men’s bike that had been left by its owner unsecured outside a business in the 5500 block of Trail Avenue, Sechelt. The bike is described as a men’s single speed blue Classic Cruiser with yellow grips. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 2018-770.
Fraud
• On Jan. 30, a Coast resident reported being defrauded after he responded to a message on his computer saying his computer had no firewall and that there was a virus on it. The resident spoke with someone purporting to be with a computer security company called Quickhelp, which was later determined to be a fake company. The resident gave the scammer remote access to his computer, and then, as instructed, paid for the “service” by purchasing some prepaid Mastercards and sending the scammer scanned images of the cards, as well as a copy of his driver’s licence. The resident then realized this was an odd way to pay and contacted his Internet service provider’s tech support, which told him he did have a firewall and there were no viruses on his computer. The resident reported his loss to Mastercard, who confirmed two out of the three cards he purchased had been used, and was able to get a refund for the unused card. It appears one of the cards was used on the Coast. The file is still under investigation. To learn more about popular scams and how to protect yourself from them, please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.
Impaired Driving
• On Feb. 1, a witness reported a possible impaired driver after a vehicle went off the road and collided into a telephone pole at the intersection of Trail Avenue and Pebble Crescent, Sechelt. Police located the driver and two passengers at the scene; fortunately, no one was injured but the vehicle had to be towed. The driver, who was displaying signs of impairment by alcohol, was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle and taken back to the detachment where breath sample testing showed the driver had a high level of impairment. The driver was issued an Administrative Driving Prohibition, a 24-hour driving prohibition. The file is still under investigation.
Motor Vehicle Incidents
• On the afternoon of Feb. 4, police attended a two-vehicle incident at the intersection of King Road and Fitchett Road, Gibsons, after the first vehicle driver attempted to brake and make a right turn at the same time, and struck the second vehicle which was waiting at the stop sign on Fitchett Road. Fortunately, no life-threatening injuries were reported, but both vehicles had to be towed from the scene. Driver impairment was not a factor, but the first vehicle driver advised he’d looked down just before reaching the stop sign and, unable to stop in time, had made the right turn to try to avoid a collision with the second vehicle. The first driver was issued a violation ticket for failing to obey a traffic control device.
• In the early evening of Feb. 5, police attended a two-vehicle incident in the 13500 block of Highway 101, Madeira Park after a driver from the United Kingdom pulled out onto the road and reverted back to his UK driving habit of driving on the left hand side of the road. The second driver, who didn’t realize the first vehicle was coming towards him, was unable to pull over and the two vehicles collided head on. Fortunately, no life-threatening injuries were reported, but both vehicles had to be towed due to extensive damage. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
– Sunshine Coast RCMP
