Category: Guelph Police Service

Private broker arrested in ongoing investigation

A Guelph man who claimed to be a private mortgage and loan broker has been arrested during an ongoing investigation into alleged misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Guelph Police Service’s Fraud Unit executed a search warrant last week at the male’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices and documents pertaining to the investigation.

Between 2019 and 2024, the man allegedly impersonated clients to secure unauthorized loans, accepted funds for fake loans without investing them as agreed, and claimed borrowers were unable to keep up with loan repayments leading to some investors with significant financial losses.

The Guelph Police Service is aware of several victims and losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The investigation is ongoing.

A 48-year-old Guelph man is charged with four counts of fraud over $5,000, 17 counts of uttering a forged document and nine counts of identity theft. He will appear in court November 4.

SUV used to pull store door open

The Guelph Police Service is investigating after suspects used a truck to pull the door open at a north-end business early Wednesday.

Approximately 4:50 a.m. a security company called police to report the break-in at a business near Woodlawn Road West and Arrow Road. Two men had attached a chain to an SUV and used it to pull open the front door, shattering the glass in the process. Officers arrived minutes later but the suspects were gone.

A large number of smoke detectors and electrical breakers were reported missing.

The first suspect was wearing a dark grey sweatshirt over a blue or green shirt, grey baseball cap, black pants and black shoes with white soles. The second was wearing a light grey sweatshirt, black pants, dark shoes with white soles, red gloves and a ball cap. They were driving a black Ford Explorer.

Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Brad Townsend at 519-824-1212, ext. 7135, email [email protected], leave an anonymous message for Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or leave an anonymous tip online at www.csgw.tips.

Impaired charge after erratic driving

A Guelph man faces impaired driving charges after witnesses reported his erratic driving Wednesday afternoon.

Just after 4 p.m. a witness reported a blue SUV being driven on the wrong side of the road and into oncoming lanes at York Road and Elizabeth Street. The erratic driving continued towards the downtown, with the subject vehicle at times completely on the wrong side of the road forcing other drivers to take evasive action.

Officers located and pulled the vehicle over on Wellington Street West. They detected a strong odour of alcohol on the driver’s breath and noted he needed their help when exiting the vehicle as he was unable to stand without falling over.

He was arrested and transported to the police station, where tests revealed he had more than twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system.

A 74-year-old Guelph man is charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving. His licence was suspended for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days. He will appear in court October 10.

The Guelph Police Service would like to encourage the public to consume alcohol and cannabis responsibly. Please don’t drive if you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, and please ensure that you plan ahead so that you have a safe ride home. Anyone who spots a suspected impaired driver is asked to immediately call 911.

Total calls for service in the last 24 hours – 235

A Guelph woman has been charged with careless driving after driving around barricades and causing approximately $100,000 in damage to police equipment.

On September 19 officers were investigating a fatal pedestrian collision at Paisley Road and Alma Street North and had closed both roads.

Approximately 7:40 p.m. a driver went around large Road Closed signs at Paisley Road and Bagot Street. She drove around police vehicles and past officers yelling at her to stop, then entered the collision scene and collided with a tripod-mounted 3D scanner being used in the investigation and rendering it inoperable.

A 66-year-old Guelph woman has been charged with careless driving.

Motorists are reminded it is crucial to obey all signage and to not drive on closed roads for the safety of investigators and the public.

A Montreal man faces several charges after he was caught with a stolen vehicle in Guelph this week.

On Monday night, members of the Guelph Police Service Break Enter Auto Theft Unit were investigating a stolen 2024 Toyota Sequoia SUV parked near Victoria Road North and Ingram Drive.

Officers saw two men in a Land Rover approach the vehicle and begin putting fuel into it from a gas can. Officers approached and identified themselves. One of the men got into the driver’s seat of the Land Rover in an attempt to flee, but was removed from the vehicle by officers.

The man did not listen to commands and attempted to flee on foot while flailing his arms but was eventually arrested. The second suspect fled behind a residence and was not located.

Investigation revealed the arrested man is on bail with a condition to reside with his surety in Montreal and not to attend the Province of Ontario or occupy the driver’s seat of a vehicle.

The licence plates on the Land Rover had been stolen and officers are still trying to determine whether the vehicle itself is stolen. A search of the Land Rover revealed tools including pliers, a window breaker, unlock kit and a saw. Officers also recovered blank car keys and a scanning device which could be attached to a vehicle’s diagnostic system.

A 27-year-old Montreal man is charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, possessing stolen property under $5,000, resisting arrest, wearing a disguise while committing an offence, possessing break-in instruments, possessing an auto master key and five counts of breaching a bail order. He will appear in bail court September 26.

The investigation is ongoing.

A Guelph man has been charged following a collision late last month that claimed the life of a cyclist.

Approximately 3:20 p.m. August 29, emergency services were called to the intersection of Elmira Road North and Massey Road for a collision between a bicycle and a garbage truck. The cyclist, a 37-year-old man, was declared deceased at the scene. The operator of the garbage truck was not physically injured.

A 37-year-old Guelph man has been charged with careless driving causing death. He will appear in court December 17.

Two people face impaired driving charges following separate collisions over the weekend.

Just before 11 a.m. Friday, police were called to a single-vehicle collision on Woolwich Street near London Road where a car had struck a hydro pole.

Officers spoke to the driver and confirmed he is currently a suspended driver. Following further investigation he was arrested for impaired driving and dangerous driving.

A 34-year-old Guelph man will appear in court November 4.

Approximately 8:40 p.m. Sunday police were called to the area of Scottsdale Drive and Ironwood Road for reports of a parked vehicle being struck. Officers arrived and observed a car with extensive damage.

They spoke to a woman who had an odour of alcohol on her breath. After failing a roadside breath test she was arrested and transported to the police station, where further tests showed she had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system.

A 46-year-old Guelph woman is charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving. She was held for a bail hearing Monday.

Both drivers had their licences suspended for 90 days and their vehicles impounded for seven days.

The Guelph Police Service would like to encourage the public to consume alcohol and cannabis responsibly. Please don’t drive if you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, and please ensure that you plan ahead so that you have a safe ride home. Anyone who spots a suspected impaired driver is asked to immediately call 911.

A Guelph teen faces assault and weapons charges after police were called Friday evening for a report of someone with a knife.

Approximately 5:40 p.m. residents in the area of Metcalfe Street and Emma Street reported a disturbance between a male and female known to each other. A female was observed leaving her home with a large knife.

Several witnesses called 911 as the woman walked up and down the street with the knife in her hand while yelling and swearing. Eventually witnesses were able to get the knife away from her.

A 16-year-old Guelph girl is charge with possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault and two counts of breaching court orders. She was held for a bail hearing and has been released to appear in court October 2.

A Guelph man and Cambridge teen face assault charges after two security officers were attacked Saturday.

Approximately 5:35 p.m. several young people were in the food court area of Stone Road Mall with their hoods up. Security officers asked them to remove their hoods per mall policy. When they refused they were escorted out of the mall.

Once outside, one of the males pushed an officer before the others joined in, punching and kicking both security officers several times. Eventually the victims were able to detain one of the males and the others fled on foot. Responding officers saw one of the youths running from the area and he was caught following a foot pursuit.

A 22-year-old Guelph man and 16-year-old Cambridge boy are each charged with two counts of assault. The man was also charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking after quantities of suspected crack cocaine and cash were found on his person.

The man will appear in court November 7. The teen was held for a bail hearing and has been released to appear in court October 15.

The investigation is ongoing.

A Guelph man faces assault and mischief charges after a hammer was wielded during a neighbour dispute.

Approximately 3:25 p.m. Sunday police were called to an address near Victoria Road South and Arkell Road. Investigation revealed two neighbours have been arguing recently about placement of garbage bins. On Sunday one of the men parked his vehicle too close to the other’s driveway, prompting a brief physical altercation.

While the man moved his vehicle to another spot, the neighbour retrieved a hammer and smashed several windows of another vehicle in the victim’s driveway. When the victim approached he held the hammer over his head in a threatening manner, however the victim was able to wrestle him to the ground and detained  him until police arrived.

A 35-year-old Guelph man is charged with assault with a weapon and mischief under $5,000. He was held for a bail hearing Monday.

The Guelph Police Service continues to investigate after a woman died when she and her family were struck by a pickup Friday afternoon.

Just after 5 p.m. emergency services were called to the intersection of Paisley Road and Alma Street North. Investigation revealed a Guelph couple were walking with their three-year-old daughter in a stroller when all three were struck by a pickup in the crosswalk.

All three were transported to Guelph General Hospital where the mother, a 38-year-old Guelph woman, succumbed to her injuries. Her 38-year-old husband was treated for minor injuries and released. Their daughter was airlifted to a Hamilton trauma centre as a precaution and was released from hospital the same night.

The driver, a 19-year-old male from Northern Ontario, remained on scene and was not physically injured.

The collision remains under investigation. Anyone who witnessed it and has not yet spoken to police is asked to call Constable Todd Weinstein at 519-824-1212, ext. 7185, or email [email protected].

A Guelph man has been arrested after a west-end bank branch received a bomb threat.

A manager at the branch called police Thursday afternoon to report the threat. She said staff had been dealing with a client for a week who was upset that an e-transfer he tried to send had been declined as possibly fraudulent.

During a telephone conversation Thursday the client was still upset and threatened to bomb the branch and set it on fire.

A 53-year-old Guelph man was arrested later Thursday and charged with uttering threats. He will appear in court October 31.

A Kitchener man faces sexual assault and impaired driving charges following a disturbance earlier this week.

On Wednesday afternoon police were called to a residence near the downtown where a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted by a man known to her. She said the man had caused damage to the residence and left in his truck, despite previously using drugs.

During the investigation the man returned to the residence in his vehicle and was arrested. While speaking to the man, officers believed he was impaired by a narcotic due to his behaviour.

He was transported to the police station, where an officer trained in drug recognition determined his ability to operate a vehicle was impaired by a drug. During a search, officers located a pill bottle containing suspected crack cocaine.

A 36-year-old Kitchener man is charged with sexual assault, mischief under $5,000, possessing a controlled substance and impaired driving. He will appear in court November 4.

The Guelph Police Service is investigating after two east-end homes were damaged by a woman with a baseball bat Wednesday night.

Just before 9 p.m. police were called to a townhouse complex near Auden Road and Eastview Road. A resident reported a woman came to her front door yelling and carrying a metal baseball bat. The resident managed to close the front door then heard it being struck several times. The resident did not know the woman.

While officers were en route, police heard from a resident of a different townhouse complex in the same area. He said someone buzzed an intercom at his front door and started yelling while demanding to be let inside. He refused and then heard the door being struck several times.

The suspect was described as possibly of First Nations descent with black hair in a ponytail and wearing a beige cardigan. Both homes sustained minor damage.

Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Dan Urbshas at 519-824-1212, ext. 7240, email [email protected], leave an anonymous message for Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or leave an anonymous tip online at www.csgw.tips.

$6k chain removed in distraction theft

Residents are reminded to be cautious when interacting with strangers after a visitor from India had a $6,000 gold chain stolen during a distraction theft Wednesday morning.

A south-end resident called police Wednesday afternoon. She said her mother-in-law in her 60s was out for a walk shortly after 11 a.m. when she was approached by a couple near the intersection of Goodwin Drive and Laughland Lane.

They engaged her in conversation and gave her a $20 bill. The suspects also hugged her, at which time they removed her gold chain and replaced it with a fake one. The victim did not realize what had happened until she got home.

The couple were described as being in their 40s with fair skin and speaking English with a Middle Eastern accent. They were in a vehicle which was last seen on Goodwin Drive towards Victoria Road South.

The stolen chain has tremendous sentimental value as it was received as a wedding gift more than 40 years ago.

Anyone with information is asked to call Constable Sherry Pettapiece at 519-824-1212, ext. 7479, email [email protected], leave an anonymous message for Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or leave an anonymous tip online at www.csgw.tips.

Impaired charge after collision

A Guelph man is charged with impaired driving after a car went off the road and hit a tree in the south end Thursday morning.

Just after 5 a.m. police were called to the intersection of Kortright Road West and Scottsdale Drive after reports of a vehicle possibly colliding with a building. Officers arrived on scene and discovered the driver of a BMW had lost control, gone off the road and struck a tree. No injuries were reported but the vehicle was destroyed.

After failing a roadside breath test the driver was arrested and transported to the police station, where further tests confirmed he had more than the legal amount of alcohol in his system.

An 18-year-old Guelph man is charged with impaired driving and several Highway Traffic Act offences. His licence was suspended for 90 days and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.

The Guelph Police Service would like to encourage the public to consume alcohol and cannabis responsibly. Please don’t drive if you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, and please ensure that you plan ahead so that you have a safe ride home. Anyone who spots a suspected impaired driver is asked to immediately call 911.

Total calls for service in the last 24 hours – 245