Skipping bail meetings leads to arrest
A 42-year-old Chatham man who allegedly skipped out on checking in with his bail supervisor will have to report to a judge now.
Police said the man was released from custody on March 27 with several conditions, one of which was that he was required to contact and attend bail supervision appointments.
He allegedly failed to do that, so when police spotted him on Thursday, they arrested him and charged him with failing to comply with his release conditions.
The accused was later released with a future court date in June.
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Highgate man's unwanted messages get him into trouble
A 45-year-old Highgate man is charged with criminal harassment after he allegedly ignoring warnings from police to stop messaging his ex-girlfriend.
Police said the case started earlier this month when a woman reported that she had been receiving numerous unwanted texts and Facebook messages from her ex-boyfriend.
After hearing that, officers said they cautioned the man to stop communicating with the woman.
However, police learned yesterday that the man had allegedly sent another Facebook message to the woman, so he was arrested and charged. He was later released with a future court date.
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Two arrests on outstanding warrants
Chatham-Kent police have caught up with two men on their wanted list.
In the first case, local officers got a helping hand from police in St. Thomas. They arrested a 34-year-old man on Thursday who was wanted for property and fraud-related offences, failing to comply with his release conditions, breaching his Probation Order, and failing to attend court in Chatham-Kent.
The accused was taken back to Chatham-Kent for court purposes and was set to be held in custody pending a bail hearing.
In the second case, officers arrested a 59-year-old man of no fixed address who was wanted for failing to comply with his release conditions.
Police said that man was arrested while police were responding to a report about a suspicious man near a business on Talbot Street in Blenheim. He was later released with a future court date.
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Car reported stolen in Ridgetown
Chatham-Kent police are looking for the public's help to track down a purple 2006 Chevrolet HHR (heritage high roof) vehicle that was stolen from a residence on George Street in Ridgetown.
The vehicle was last seen with the Ontario license plates BVPL 821.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Kelly McCormack at kellymc@chatham-kent.ca or 519-436-6600 extension #85118.
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Electronics reported stolen in Chatham
Chatham-Kent police are also investigating a break-in at a residence on Park Avenue West in Chatham.
Officers said sometime between Wednesday night at 9 p.m. and Thursday morning at 7 a.m., someone broke into a residence on that street and took off with a pair of Air Jordan shoes, a PS4 gaming system, a Hisense Smart TV, an iRobot vacuum, and a neon green GT Mountain Bike.
The total value of the stolen items was estimated at $4,300 and about $50 worth of damage was caused by the break-in.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Brad Hessel at bradhe@chatham-kent.ca or 519-436-6600 extension #87270.
Anonymous callers with information on any crime can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and may be eligible for a cash reward.
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Don't fall for CRA scams
Residents are being reminded to be aware of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) scams.
Police said although CRA scams are not new, it is important to recognize them -- especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"During these difficult and challenging times, people may see ‘refund’ and fall prey due to their financial situation," said Constable Renee Cowell in an emailed statement. "These scams are designed to solicit a quick response from people, in that they’re offering to send you money."
Residents who receive a suspicious email or text are asked to delete it and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Information on how to identify legitimate documents can be found by clicking, here.
Below are documents sent to a local resident and submitted to Blackburn News, to show an example of what a CRA scam may look like.
