MOUNT FOREST – A Mount Forest man has been charged with theft after telecommunication wires were removed from a local business.
Wellington County OPP officials say police were called about the theft on Sept. 18 at about 7pm.
Police say “telecommunication wires [were] cut at a local business on Egremont Street” in Mount Forest and “the wires were positioned to be stolen later that night.”
The suspect was located and arrested in the early morning hours of Sept. 19, police added.
Gordon Kostal, 44, of Mount Forest, was charged with theft under $5,000 and held in custody pending a bail hearing.
Teen charged after vehicle lands in lake
ASHFIELD-COLBORNE-WAWANOSH – An Arthur teen has been charged with dangerous driving after a vehicle ended up on its roof in Lake Huron a few weeks ago.
Huron County OPP officials say the incident occurred on Sept. 14 at about 11:55pm off of Amberley Road.
Emergency crews responded to the scene to discover a “four-door sedan had left the roadway, rolled, and landed on the roof in the water approximately ten meters from shore,” police stated in a Sept. 24 press release.
“The two occupants had exited the vehicle uninjured.”
A 16-year-old from Arthur was charged with dangerous driving and is to appear in youth court in Goderich on Nov. 13.
Resisted police
PALMERSTON – A Palmerston man has been charged with resisting arrest following an incident here last week.
Wellington County OPP officials say officers responded to “a disturbance at a residence in Palmerston” on Sept. 25 at about 8:30pm.
“During the interaction, an individual became uncooperative and actively resisted police,” states an OPP press release.
Dallas Middleton, 29, of Palmerston, was charged with resisting a peace officer and was held for a bail hearing.
Drug, impaired charges
CENTRE WELLINGTON – A Guelph/Eramosa man is facing 10 charges, including impaired driving and drug possession, after police found a driver asleep at the wheel on Monday night.
Wellington County OPP officers were monitoring traffic on Sept. 29 at about 7:30pm when they noticed a vehicle parked on the side of Wellington Road 29 in Centre Wellington “with their turn signal on and the driver slumped over.”
Bryan Runstadtler, 57, of Guelph/Eramosa, was charged with:
– driving while impaired by alcohol and drugs;
– driving while prohibited;
– possession of property obtained by crime (over $5,000);
– using unauthorized licence plates;
– two counts of possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine and other drugs); and
– four counts of driving while suspended.
“Additionally, the accused was wanted by a neighbouring police service and was turned over on their charges, and ultimately held in police custody, pending a bail hearing,” police stated in a Sept. 30 press release.
The driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days and the vehicle impounded for 45 days.
The accused is to appear in Guelph court on Nov. 7.
Resident bilked of $50,000 in romance scam
GUELPH/ERAMOSA – In what’s becoming almost a weekly occurrence, yet another Wellington County resident has fallen victim to an online scam – this time resulting in the loss of over $50,000.
On Sept. 25 at about 11am, Wellington County OPP received a fraud report from a resident of Guelph/Eramosa.
“The victim developed an online relationship with an unidentified individual from another country, who sent the victim a request for a large quantity of money,” police stated in a Sept. 26 press release.
“This ultimately led to the victim being defrauded of over $50,000.”
Police say, “A family member of the victim quickly recognized the situation as fraudulent and intervened. They then contacted police to report the incident.”
A romance scam involves individuals using fake identities and building romantic relationships with victims through online platforms, social media or dating websites.
“The scammer typically creates a convincing profile, often using stolen photos and a fabricated backstory, to gain the trust of the victim,” police stated.
“Once a connection is established, the scammer often exploits the victim’s emotions to manipulate them into sending money or providing personal information.”
Anyone who knows a victim of fraud can contact the police and should also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online – even if a financial loss did not occur.
The Little Black Book of Scams, detailing different scams and how to handle them, can be found at competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03074.html.
Partner violence
WELLINGTON COUNTY – Local police continue to lay intimate partner violence charges across the county.
Those arrested include a 33-year-old from Brampton, who was charged with spousal assault and domestic mischief in relation to an incident in Guelph/Eramosa on Sept. 23.
The accused individual is to appear in Guelph court at a later date.
Careless driving
CENTRE WELLINGTON – An Orton driver has been charged with careless driving in a two-vehicle crash last month.
Emergency crews responded to the scene, at the intersection of Wellington Road 26 and Erin Garafraxa Townline in Centre Wellington, on Sept. 21 at about 12pm.
Wellington County OPP officials say the crash involved a pickup truck and an SUV.
“Two children (in) the SUV were taken to hospital as a precaution, but no injuries were reported at the scene,” police stated.
A 32-year-old from Orton was charged with careless driving and is to appear in Guelph court at a later date.
Driving, vehicle charges
GUELPH –A Cambridge driver has been charged with seven driving and vehicle offences after being pulled over by police.
Wellington County OPP officials say officers stopped the vehicle while monitoring traffic on Stone Road West in Guelph on Sept. 21 at about 3:45pm.
A 38-year-old Cambridge driver was charged with failing to stop at a red light, driving with a defective braking system, driving without insurance, driving an unsafe vehicle, driving without a permit, making an unsafe lane change and driving with an obscured view.
The accused is to appear in Guelph court at a later date.
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Anyone with information about any of the above incidents can contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip at csgw.tips. Tip providers may be eligible for a cash reward.
