Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Child Death Investigation

On Thursday, the 12th of November, 2009, at approximately 1:40 pm a toddler was rushed to hospital after Ambulance Services responded to a report of a child in distress in an apartment at 59 Old Garden River Road. At the time the toddler was found unresponsive and immediately transported to Sault Area Hospital. The 3 year-old male child was in critical condition and was flown out later that evening to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa for medical treatment. Investigators have learned that the child was pronounced dead on the 16th of November.
Police are treating the death as suspicious. The investigation is ongoing and a post-mortem will be conducted in Ottawa this week to determine the cause of the child's death. The child's name is not being released at this time. There are no other details to release at this time.

Shoplifters Arrested over the Past Three Days:

1) 46 year-old Carmela Ucci of #411-31 Old Garden River Road was charged with one count of theft under $5,000.00 on the 16th of November at 3:05 hours after she allegedly attended at Rome’s Independent Grocers around 3 pm and stole items. She is to appear in court on the 7th of December.

2) A 17 year-old male youth was charged with two counts of breach of probation and one count of theft under $5,000.00 on the 16th of November at 8 pm after he allegedly attended at the Wal-Mart Store around 6:27 pm and stole a MP3 player. He is to appear in court on the5th of January.

3) 31 year-old Patrick Baxter of Room#17-306 Korah Road was charged on the 14th of November at 2:15 pm after he allegedly attended at Joe’s No Frills just after 2 pm and stole some hair products. He is to appear in court on the 14th of December.

4) 35 year-old Karen Swanson of 680 Portage Lane was charged on the 15th of November at 4:10 pm with one count of theft under $5,000.00 after she allegedly attended at the A & P Store on Second Line West around 4 pm and stole some meat. She is to appear in court on the 14th of December.

Property Crimes:

Four Break and Enter Reports:

1) A residence in the 400 block of Pine Street was entered at 11:15 pm last evening. City police received a call regarding a break and enter in progress to the residence at 11:15 pm. An occupant was home at the time and heard glass breaking and called police. Entry was gained and a money box that contained an undisclosed amount of cash was reported stolen. Officers searched the area with negative results.

2) A residence in the 200 block of Allen’s Side Road was entered around 2:39 pm yesterday. It is not known at this time if anything was taken.

3) A break and enter to a garage and the home on Dablon Street was reported yesterday morning. It is not known at this time what was taken.

4) The Queen Street Variety Store on Queen Street West was broken into last night at 11:10 pm. The store alarm was activated at 11:10 pm and a witness observed two males fleeing on foot from the area. Officers searched the area with negative results. Cigarettes and chips were reported stolen.

The Sault Ste Marie Police Service would like to remind the public of some break and enter prevention tips:

Break and Enter Prevention Tips:

• Make your home appear occupied when you go out.
• Lock all doors and windows.
• Secure all doors with a good deadbolt lock
• Leave lights on and the radio playing.
• Use timing devices to turn inside lights on and off.
• Keep your garage door closed and locked
• Lock all sheds.
• If you will be gone several days, arrange to have the mail and papers stopped or picked up. If you do not have anyone that can do this, the Post Office, for a minimal fee can hold your mail until your return.
• Inform your trusted neighbours you will be away and ask them to keep an eye on your residence or even park their car in your driveway. In winter, arrange for someone to shovel your driveway.
• Half of all home burglaries occur during the day when alert neighbors could spot and report the thieves.
• If you are a neighbour and observe any suspicious person/s or activity in the area, call the police.
• Keep valuables that may be irreplaceable in a safety deposit box, out of site in or home or in an isolated location.
• Take an inventory of your property. Use photos, videos, and /or DVD’s .Record serial number, engrave an identifying mark on property - this makes it easier for police to identify your property and harder for the criminal to sell/pawn.

Theft Reports:

Vehicles were entered on Terry Fox Place, Dacey Road and Cambridge Place sometime overnight on the 15th-16th of November. Items reported stolen included an iPod Touch, a calendar, tools, cash, cigarettes and CD’S.

Citizens should remember to keep their vehicles locked at all times and always remove anything of value. If anything of value must be stored in the vehicle, then it should be hidden from plain view or secured in the trunk. Vigilance by locking vehicles and removing items of temptation will greatly reduce incidents of theft.

If anyone has any information regarding these crimes, please contact City Police at 949-6300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.