Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for Jan. 13 to 20:
• On Jan. 17, police attended a flipped single-vehicle incident on Highway 101 near Narrows Road, Madeira Park. Emergency Health Services and Pender Harbour Volunteer Fire Department also attended to assist with the incident, which required temporarily closing one lane on the highway. One of the passengers who had been trapped in the vehicle had to be airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported by any other passengers. The driver advised she’d been travelling below the speed limit when she lost traction on the snowy, icy roads and overcorrected, and slid across the highway into the ditch. The vehicle, which had proper tires, was towed due to damage. The matter has been referred to ICBC.
Scam
• On Jan. 15, a Coast resident reported a scam after receiving a text message advising him that an e-transfer to an unknown person had been successful. The resident checked his bank accounts and found that an unknown person had managed to transfer funds between accounts and withdraw a large sum of money from a line of credit account. The resident ran a virus scan and noted that several forms of malware had been downloaded onto his computer, which would have allowed fraudsters to gain access to sensitive financial information. To learn more about this and other common types of scams and how to protect yourself from falling victim, please visit sites such as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.
Theft of vehicle
• Between Jan. 16 and 17, a suspect stole a vehicle from a residence in the 700 block of School Road, Gibsons. The vehicle, which had been left unlocked with a spare set of keys inside, was located on Jan. 18 in the 800 block of O’Shea Road, Gibsons. Police also located and arrested the suspect who was found in possession of the vehicle keys. The file is still under investigation.
Break and enter
• Sometime between Jan. 14 and 16, a suspect gained entry to a garage in the 5600 block of Trail Avenue, Sechelt, and stole a tackle box containing various tools, an old espresso machine, a garage door opener, and food from a freezer. The suspect also gained entry to a vehicle and stole some documents. No other theft or damage was reported.
Impaired driving
• On Jan. 18, police initiated a traffic stop on Highway 101 near Mercer Road, Halfmoon Bay, with a vehicle that had an insecure load sticking out of the back. The officer noted signs of possible impairment and gave the unlicensed driver a roadside alcohol screening test. After a “fail” result, the driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and a violation ticket for no driver’s licence. The driver’s vehicle was also impounded for 30 days. The matter has been referred to RoadSafetyBC.
Theft
• On Jan. 20, a suspect was caught on surveillance footage shoplifting several jackets and hats from a business in the 5500 block of Trail Avenue, Sechelt. The suspect has been identified and the file is still under investigation.
• Sometime between Jan. 15 and 20, a suspect stole a plastic greenhouse from a school in the 5500 block of Shorncliffe Avenue, Sechelt. The greenhouse is a Shelter Logic brand and is a 10 feet by 20 feet white opaque tent structure with a steel bar frame. The suspect or suspects would have had to dismantle the greenhouse to take it away. The door to the structure was not attached at the time and would be missing on the stolen item. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP, reference police file 2020-438.
Found property
• On Jan. 15, a school ring from the class of 2001 was turned in to RCMP. Owner may claim within 90 days with detailed description. Please reference police file 2020-328.
• On Jan. 16, a phone found in near Pratt Road and Kearton Road, Gibsons, was turned in. Owner may claim within 90 days with detailed description. Please reference police file 2020-354.
• On Jan. 20, a child’s sized bike was found on Silverstone Trail, Sechelt. Owner may claim within 90 days with detailed description. Please reference police file 2020-436.
– Const. Karen Whitby, Sunshine Coast RCMP
