Friday, December 10, 2004

Sault Ste Marie Police Service Investigate Two Robberies

At approx. 9:50 PM yesterday evening two men approached a 49-year-old male on Wellington St. W. near Beverly St. and demanded the complainant’s wallet and his money. When the complainant refused to turn over his wallet both suspects struck the victim with the club type weapons, that they had been carrying. The victim, who had been carrying a pop bottle, struck one of the suspects in the face with the bottle. Both suspects then fled north on Beverly St. The victim did not require medical attention for his injuries. The two suspects are described as:

Male, possibly in his teens, 6’ tall, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and a bandana on his face.

Male, also in his teens, 5’9", wearing a dark sweatshirt with a hood and a bandana over his face.

These males when they approached the complainant were brandishing dark bat like objects. One of the males may have suffered an injury to his face when he was struck with the pop bottle Anyone with any information on this occurrence is asked to call the City Police Detective Office or Crimestoppers.

At approx. 9:40 PM last night a 41-year- old male was walking south on Korah Rd near Wallace Terr. when he was approached, from behind, by two men. One of the men struck the victim on the head with a lead pipe- knocking the victim to the ground. The two males struck the victim several more times with pipes and one of the males demanded money from him. The victim did not have any money. A passerby saw the assault taking place and yelled at the two assailants who then fled westbound on Douglas St.

The suspects are described as:
male was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with the hood up covering his face, he had blue jeans on and was wearing a jacket over the sweater.
The other male was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head covering his face. He also was wearing blue jeans and a jacket over the sweatshirt. No other descriptors given.
The victim sustained a large bump on the back of his head .Victim was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Sault Ste Marie Police Detective Office or Crimestoppers.

At approx. 3:40 AM this morning a male attended at the Country Style Donut Shop on Trunk Rd. and stole the cash till from the shop. Suspect is described as: Male, 6`3", 170 lbs, with a beard. Wearing a brown coat and a black hat. It is unknown how much money was in the till at this time.

Break and Enters

City Police are also investigating two Break and Enters from overnight. A residence in the 100 block of Wright St. was entered, by forcing a basement window. Thieves stole a quantity of cash and some jewellery. Thieves also broke into the Beaver Gas Bar on Trunk Rd. at Lake St. by breaking the front window. It is not known what was stolen from the gas station at this time.

Male Charged with Assault

At approx. 1:45 AM this morning City Police arrested a 52-year-old male as a result of a domestic assault. It is alleged that the male got into a verbal argument with the victim and then choked her. The accused was charged with Assault and will be appearing in court on Jan. 17th at 9:00 AM.

Consumer Fraud Alert:

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Fraud Unit is currently investigating an occurrence of consumer fraud surrounding the sale of a vacuum cleaner to an elderly customer. High-pressure sales tactics were employed to push this victim into a purchase and the salesman went so far as to take the victim to an ATM for a credit card cash advance. In this case the customer was contacted by telephone first with the promise of having won a prize and an in-home demonstration is scheduled. No contact information was left with the consumer to make a return or refund or identify the salesman or company.

The public is urged to be vigilant, to know your rights and avoid getting "cleaned" by unscrupulous salespeople. Here are some tips:

Be careful allowing strangers into your home, and only those who you have asked the company to send Don't allow yourself to be pressured or rushed into a purchase, think carefully and try to have a friend or relative with you to help with their input on your decision High-pressure tactics include setting time limits, special offers, great deals, promises for health benefits .Do your homework, compare products and prices Ensure you have a complete record of the sale with a working and verified contact name, address and telephone number and some identity of proof of who was in your home You have ten days to cancel any contract over $50.00 for any reason and be eligible for a full refund.

If you have any information on this crime or can assist with identifying this suspect please call the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Fraud Unit at (705) 949-6300 ext 340.