Estevan Police Service members successfully completed one theft investigation during the past week and moved closer to resolving another. But to illustrate how the circle of crime often keeps circling, they had to add a new theft incident to their files at the same time.
On the night of Jan. 29, EPS members were called to the scene of a theft in a retail outlet on the northeast side of the city. A socket tool set had been taken. Police received a description and viewed a video that quickly identified a suspect. Police then located a vehicle that was apparently used in the incident at a residence on the west side of the city. The stolen tool set was located inside the vehicle which was seized with a search warrant being executed to search the vehicle. The toolkit was recovered and people who were in the residence at the time were interviewed with the police requesting that the suspect turn himself into police, which he did within a half-hour.
As a result of this action, a 29-year-old man has been charged with the theft of goods valued under $5,000 and breaching the conditions of his probation.
EPS members then continued with another successful theft investigation, calling on the suspect that had been tentatively identified in a surveillance recording at a local liquor offsale outlet. After discussing the theft that had occurred a few days earlier, the man arrived at the police station a little later to turn himself in and was charged with theft of goods valued at under $5,000 and for breaching the conditions of his release.
Another theft incident that police were working on, involving the disappearance of a Honda generator from a local business, came closer to a conclusion that same evening. Police arrested a 33-year-old man in relation to the generator theft, but he was later released from custody with no charges laid at the time and EPS members will continue with their investigation.
On the night of Jan. 30, EPS members arrested a 34-year-old man who refused to provide a breath sample for analysis during a roadside check. He was charged with driving while impaired and for refusing to provide the breath sample.
When police were required to make two visits to one particular residence in response to noise complaints on Jan. 30, the tenant of the apartment was charged under the city's noise bylaw.
A disturbance that broke out at the leisure centre on the night of Jan. 30 resulted in the offending parties being spoken to by police, and no further action was required.
During the day shift on Jan. 31, EPS members looked into an incident involving the possible tampering of a debit machine at a local retail outlet. The matter remains under investigation.
A routine traffic stop on the city's north side on Jan. 31 resulted in charges being laid against some occupants of a vehicle. The charges were for being in possession of a small amount of marijuana. Two women, aged 17 and 18 are now scheduled for a court appearance on March 3.
On the night of Jan. 31, a 26-year-old driver was stopped by police due to a traffic violation. Police noted the operator appeared to be exhibiting signs of impairment so a roadside test was administered, and the driver was ultimately charged with driving while his blood-alcohol level was over .08 per cent and driving while impaired. He now has a March 24 court date.
A fight between two young men in front of a city residence on the night of Jan. 31, caused police reaction. The two young men were spoken to and one was further questioned regarding his action and the possibility of an assault charge being laid.
Another physical altercation required police attention that same night. This time the incident broke out at a local convenience store. It was determined that alcohol was a contributing factor and one of the men involved in the incident, it was determined, had been assaulted but had not sustained any injuries. The matter remains under investigation.
Police noted they responded to several more alcohol-related incidents during the night and reported that all parties involved in the minor events had left the scenes prior to their arrival.
On the day shift Feb. 1, EPS members responded to a call regarding a possible impaired driver. It was noted that a vehicle was stuck in the ditch in the industrial east side area. The driver was still in the vehicle when police arrived, and it was determined he had not been consuming alcohol. A tow truck was contacted and the vehicle was extricated from the ditch.
A two-vehicle motor vehicle accident on a hotel parking lot resulted in extensive damages to one of the vehicles. The driver of the offending vehicle had failed to yield the right-of-way to the oncoming vehicle, so he was charged accordingly. No injuries were reported.
On Feb. 1, police along with fire rescue service personnel were dispatched in response to two fire alarms at private residences. In both instances, the alarms were false, having been triggered by burned food.
Police were next asked to attend to the Civic Auditorium for a walk through in response to a complaint that included the officials who were working a hockey game in the facility. Police were informed that one parent in particular was getting out of control. The man had been advised to leave the site and had done so, but then returned later to "moon" the referees before departing again. The moon walker was not in the auditorium when police arrived to do their walk about.
A local delivery person reported that his vehicle had been stolen while he was in the process of making a delivery. Police located the person responsible and learned that the incident had been a prank and the vehicle had simply been moved out of the view of the delivery person.
A call from a frantic female on Feb. 1, caused some police action when the complainant reported that her husband had been drinking with some friends and had then become angry and aggressive with her. Police noted when they arrived, that the man in question had departed the scene, but they managed to locate him during a search of the neighbourhood, so they arrested him for being intoxicated in public, and he was placed in cells until sober.
A call from a hotel in response to a disturbance was responded to by police on Feb. 2. Two men who were occupants of a room had been arguing and one made an accusation of assault against the other. No injuries were noted, and the two men were separated for the evening and no further incidents were reported. During the early morning hours of Feb. 4, EPS members were called to the east side industrial area of the city in response to a report of a light pole being knocked over. With the assistance of other people in the area, police were able to locate the truck that had been involved in the incident and charges are pending against the driver.
Police were called to the south side of the city during the early morning hours of Feb. 4 to check on an unknown person who had entered a residence uninvited. The person left the house prior to police arrival, but they obtained a description of the residential interloper and have kept the investigation open.
