Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for May 27 to June 3:
Hit and Runs
• On May 28 at around 3 p.m., a hit and run occurred in the parking lot of a business in the 4300 block of Highway 101, Sechelt, after the suspect vehicle backed into a parked vehicle’s rear bumper and left without leaving any information for the other driver. Surveillance video captured the incident as well as the suspect vehicle’s licence plate number, so police were able to locate the driver in Langdale. The driver was issued a violation ticket for failing to stop after a collision with an unattended vehicle. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
• On May 30 between 7 and 8 p.m., a hit and run occurred in the 200 block of Gower Point Road, Gibsons, after a suspect vehicle, possibly a blue and white one, drove into a fence in a parking lot, damaging it and creating a significant safety hazard. Anyone with any information about this mischief is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 2018-3408.
• On June 1, a hit and run was reported after a motorist returned to her vehicle parked at a business in the 5500 block of Highway 101, Sechelt, and found a second vehicle parked so that the two vehicles were touching, preventing the first motorist from being able to enter her car. Closer inspection showed scrapes along the sides of both vehicles as well. While the first motorist went back into the business to have the second vehicle owner paged, the second motorist returned to her vehicle and left without leaving a note on the first vehicle. Fortunately, the first motorist had photos of the incident including a licence plate number so police followed up with the registered owner and issued the driver a violation ticket for failing to exchange particulars. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
Fraud
• On May 30, a Coast resident reported falling for a common scam after responding to an ad on Craigslist for a rental property. The resident communicated with the “owner” by email and a U.K. phone number and then was referred to a “property management company” called Air B&B Global. The resident then started communicating with a supposed property manager by email and a U.K. phone number, and agreed to pay the first and last month’s rent by Money Gram. The resident was told that after the payments were received, the keys to the property would be sent to him. After not receiving the keys and suddenly not getting any replies to emails or phone messages, the resident opened search queries on the email addresses, phone numbers and names he’d been given, and found numerous references to them being associated to fraudulent activity. The resident is trying to stop the Money Gram payments but is likely not going to recover his money. To learn more about this and other common scams and how to protect yourself from them, please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. Please share this information with your friends and family.
• On May 30, a Coast resident reported a fraud after attempting to buy a vehicle on eBay. The resident arranged to send full payment for the sight-unseen vehicle by wire transfer from his bank to the seller’s bank, at which point, the seller advised she’d ship the vehicle to Seattle where the resident could pick it up. The resident then received a notice from eBay that the transaction had been flagged as eBay policy was for monies to be sent thru PayPal and that only a deposit should be sent until the item is viewed by the buyer in person. The resident has since tried but has not been able to get concrete details on the seller’s shipping arrangements, nor has the resident been able to stop the wire transfer. The file is still under investigation.
Traffic Incidents
• On June 2, police attended a motor vehicle incident involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Teredo Street and Trail Avenue, Sechelt, after a motorist made a left turn off Trail Avenue onto Teredo Street and struck a pedestrian in the crosswalk. The pedestrian, who was struck hard enough to make a dent in the hood, was able to get up on his own and left the scene before police arrived. The driver, who stayed on scene along with a witness, advised she had not seen the pedestrian until too late. The driver was issued a violation ticket for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
• On May 30, police attended a single-vehicle incident in the 500 block of Cruice Lane, Gibsons, after hearing a collision and finding a vehicle that had driven through a fence. The driver, who was unhurt and unimpaired, reported that the car was unfamiliar to her and she’d accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake, propelling her forward into the fence. Fortunately, damage to both the fence and vehicle was minor.
• On June 2, police attended a motorcycle incident in the 1100 block of Point Road, Gibsons. Emergency Health Services, which was already on scene assessing the injured rider, advised the motorcycle struck a parked car or guardrail and the rider was thrown off his bike. Several witnesses reported smelling alcohol from the rider, but after medical treatment at Sechelt Hospital, the rider, who did advise consuming alcohol earlier, refused to provide an adequate breath sample for an alcohol screening test. The rider was charged with failing or refusing to comply with a breath demand and issued a promise to appear for court and an administrative driving prohibition. The file is still under investigation.
Fire
• On May 31, police assisted the Sechelt Volunteer Fire Department with a small grass fire in the 5800 block of Medusa Street, Sechelt. The Sechelt firefighters were able to put out the fire, which grew quickly, before it reached any structures. Witnesses reported seeing two black-clad youth, around 14 or 15 years old, in the area, possibly trying to stamp out the fire, but they have not been identified. The youth were described as being about five feet four inches tall, one with average and one with a heavier build. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 2018-3409.
Mischief
• Overnight between May 30 and 31, suspects cut locks on several commercial garbage bins behind a business in the 1100 block of Sunshine Coast Highway, Gibsons, and dumped a large amount of household garbage inside them all, filling them to the brim. Anyone with any information about this mischief is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 2018-3449.
– Sunshine Coast RCMP
