Wednesday, April 30, 2003

CLIMBING ACCIDENT VICTIM IDENTIFIED
The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, having confirmed the notification of the next of kin, has released the name of the person killed in the Gros Cap Climbing accident yesterday.

Deceased is Tyler Yuke, age 21, from Hanover Ontario, who has been residing in Sault Ste. Marie. (See next story for accident details.)


FATAL FALL AT GROS CAP
Yesterday at approximately 7:02 pm, patrol officers from the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service were called to Gros Cap regarding a male who had fallen off a cliff while on a hike.

At this time police met up with Prince Township Fire Department Volunteers to assist the victim. With the volunteers, police hiked along trails and rocks approximately 1 km to where he was located near the Pebbles Beach area.

The victim ,Tyler Yuke, age 21, was found unconscious and bleeding heavily from his head, nose and ear area.

Police investigation revealed that at approximately 5:00 pm Mr. Yuke and his friend, a 22-year-old male, were hiking on the trails at Gros Cap. The pair decided that they wanted to walk along the rocks on the waterside of the cliff. In making his way down to the lower rocks, Tyler appeared to slide on some wet granite or dirt and fell approximately 50 feet down the cliff side. He came to rest on his back on a big bolder. He was unconscious and his hiking partner immediately ran back to Gros Cap to summons help.

Police officers, assisted by Fire Department Volunteers, strapped the victim onto a board in order to carry him down and along the cliff side approximately another 75-foot vertical down to the beach area. First aid treatment was then provided.

Sault Search and Rescue Volunteers attended at the scene and assisted with a boat to transport the Tyler from the beach to the ambulance crew waiting for him near the dockside of Gros Cap. The ambulance service transported Tyler to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The police service is continuing the investigation but fowl play is not suspected at this time.


BANK FRAUD
On March 5, 2003, the complainant, a 37-year-old female from Sault Ste. Marie went to the city police station in order to report a fraudently use of her bankcard. She took bank records from the CIBC showing that two empty envelopes had been dropped into her account, one for four hundred dollars and the second for five hundred dollars.

Further to this, two withdrawals had been made from her account, one for $400 and the second for $80. The total amount put into her account was $900 and the total amount withdrawn was $480.

Detectives from the Fraud Unit of the Investigation Services Section of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service commenced an investigation into the matter and yesterday arrested and charged a 16-year-old male with two counts of Possession of a Stolen Credit Card and two counts of Fraud. He will appear in court in early June.


STOLEN VEHICLE
Yesterday at approximately 5:00 am, Michael Radford, age 19 of 732 Frontenac Street allegedly broke into Sal Dan Developments Compound in the Industrial Court and stole a 1994 Chevrolet pickup.

He drove this truck on the roadway in an impaired state. He was allegedly operating this vehicle at a high rate of speed on Landslide Road near Fish Hatchery Road. when he failed to negotiate a sharp curve and lost control and skidded into the bush. He left the scene of accident by way of the bush attempting to avoid police.

Police officers located him approximately 1 km south of the scene, out of breath, wet and with dirt all over his clothes. He was arrested and charged with Break and Enter, Impaired Driving, and Breach of Probation. He appeared in bail court yesterday and will face further court proceedings later this spring.


SON CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING MOTHER
Yesterday at approximately 2:30 am, a 51-year-old female was sitting on her couch in the company of her husband at their residence on Copernicus Drive.

The female's 29-year-old son, who has been staying with his mother for a week, came downstairs and spoke to her. An argument occurred and an assault took place on the 51-year-old mother by the son.

He assaulted her by striking her several times on the head, chest and right forearm causing swelling and bruising. Police officers were called and the son, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged at 1:50 pm by Police with Assault Causing Bodily Harm. He will appear in bail court today.


IMPAIRED CHARGES
Yesterday at 5:09 pm, the accused, Pierino Belsito, age 44 of 428 Sussex Avenue, was driving a Ford Bronco eastbound on Lyons Avenue. The accused was allegedly very intoxicated and struck the median at Patrick Street, crossed the westbound lanes and struck a tree at the rear of a home in the 500 block of Sherbourne Street.

Police officers were called to the scene and arrested the accused at 5:15 pm and transported him to the police station for breath tests. He has been charged with Impaired Driving and Driving over .08. He will appear in court on June 2nd.


BREAK & ENTERS
Yesterday, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service was advised of two break and enters to residences in the city. A home in the 200 block of Cathcart Street was broken into, along with a residence on Kingsford Road where thieves stole a purse and some credit cards.

Both investigations are continuing and anyone with information on them is asked to contact the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service at 949-6300 or Crime Stoppers.