Friday, December 18, 2009

SNOWBLOWER STOLEN FROM AWERES PUBLIC SCHOOL - SECOND TIME

(Aweres Twp., ON) – Sometime between December 16 and 17 a shed was broken into at Aweres Public School in Aweres Township.

Suspect(s) unknown entered the shed by smashing the lock off.

Stolen was a red Troy Built snow blower valued at $2,200.00

This is the second time a snow blower has been stolen from this location. It had been stolen in June of this year and was replaced, and now stolen again.

With the Christmas break for school children starting today, the snow blower had been used to keep the community skating rink behind the school clear for the children to play on and maintained by volunteers. This piece of equipment has a joint ownership between Aweres Public School and the Aweres Recreational Committee.

Anyone with any information on this crime can contact the Sault Ste. Marie Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

GARAGE DESTROYED BY FIRE - NO INJURIES

(Deroche Twp., ON) - On Thursday, 17 December 2009 at 5:30 p.m. officers from the Sault Ste. Marie OPP Detachment along with Searchmont Fire and Rescue were called to attend a garage fire in the 3000 block of Highway 556.

Upon arrival, police observed a 16 by 24 foot wood garage fully engulfed in flames. The Searchmont Fire and Rescue extinguished the blaze that destroyed the entire building and its contents.

Investigation revealed that the owner had been working on his truck heater inside the garage earlier in the day and then had left his residence in the mid-afternoon.

The garage was valued at approximately $15,000.00. The value of the contents is estimated to be $25,000.00.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Foul play is not suspected.

STOLEN VEHICLE RECOVERED - ONE MALE IN CUSTODY

(Fisher Twp., ON) – At 11:30 p.m. yesterday evening OPP officer’s patrolling on Highway 17 north pulled over a vehicle for a routine traffic stop.

The vehicle from Alberta, a 2005 Honda Civic, had been reported stolen from Calgary Alberta.

The driver, 46 year old Shawn Irwin Street of Fort Erie, Ontario was arrested and charged with Possession of Stolen Property and Driving While Under Suspension.

Street is to appear in bail court today.

STUFF- A- CRUISER

OPP WILL BE AT ROME’S INDEPENDENT GROCER TOMORROW

(Sault Ste. Marie, ON) – Members of the Sault Ste. Marie OPP Detachment and Sault Ste. Marie Auxiliary Unit will be on hand at Rome’s Independent Grocer tomorrow to “Stuff” as many non-perishable food items as they can into their police cars.

All proceeds will be brought down to the local soup kitchen to help families in need this time of year.

They will be accepting donations 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in front of the store.

OPP CHARGE COBALT TEACHER WITH INTERNET CHILD LURING

(COBALT, ON) - Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Child Sexual Exploitation Section (Project “P”), and Temiskaming OPP Detachment have arrested and charged a Cobalt man following a month long on-line child luring investigation.

On December 16, 2009, OPP officers executed a search warrant at a New Liskeard residence and seized a laptop and desktop computer and arrested the 29 year old accused for offering an under age girl money in exchange for her performing a sexual act.

The investigation revealed that, over the past month, the accused would have sexually explicit conversations with local area girls on Facebook and in one such conversation he offered a 15 year old victim a sum of money to perform sexual acts.

Geoff LUDKIN, 29-years-old of Cobalt Ontario has been charged with two counts of Internet Luring and one count of Juvenile Prostitution. He was released after a bail hearing on December 16, 2009 with conditions not to communicate with anyone under the age of 16 years, not to possess a computer or access the Internet and to be in the company of his surety at all times. LUDKIN is scheduled for his First Appearance on January 22, 2010 at the Criminal Court of Justice in Haileybury.

LUDKIN was employed as a supply teacher for the past year and a half with the District School Board Ontario North East and the Northeastern District Catholic School Board. On the internet he utilized “Tyson PELTIER” as his username. At this time police do not believe that his employment as a supply teacher played a role in the offences.

Police are encouraging anyone with further information pertaining to this investigation to contact the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Section at 416-235-4552.

The OPP are also reminding parents to remain vigilant as to how their children utilize the internet. For further information and safety tips on the internet go to: www.opp.ca.

The investigation is continuing.