Jan. 28
At 12:15 a.m. the RCMP received a complaint of a theft of a maroon Mercury Sable from the 3900 block of 3rd Avenue in Smithers. The complainant called back a short time later to report that the car had been seen driving past his residence towards the ski hill. Police patrols in the area found the vehicle on Railway Avenue, the car still running and apparently stuck in the ditch. A male was located in the driver’s seat with a female outside of the vehicle. Both were arrested for possession of stolen property and theft of a vehicle, and taken to the detachment before being released pending approval of charges. The investigation is continuing and anyone with further information is asked to contact the RCMP at 250-847-3233 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Also on the 28th, at 9 a.m., a person called to report that a laptop was found in a home owner’s bushes on the 3800 block of 13th avenue. Police determined that the laptop had been stolen from a GMC Sierra truck on the 3600 block of 14th avenue. Bear mace and bear bangers were also taken from the vehicle and police are welcoming any information people may have on this incident.
At 3:11 p.m. on the 28th, the RCMP received a report that a gray 2008 Ford Edge had been broken into on the 1200 block of Main Street. The complainant reported that the vehicle’s horn was honking and when she went outside to check on it, she found the passenger-side door open. Culprits had gone through the glove compartment and took a camera, two $50 Tim Hortons gift card, and an iPod Touch. There was no damage to the vehicle itself. At approximately the same time, the RCMP received a report of a male going through vehicles on the 3800 block of 2nd avenue. A description of the male was provided to police which conducted patrols however no one was found. Later in the day a male fitting the description was located and arrested on separate matters, but no items stolen were found in his possession. The RCMP are asking for any further information the public may be able to offer.
A vehicle was reported stolen from Railway Avenue on Jan. 28 at 4:18 p.m. A green Dodge Caravan was taken and police later located the vehicle in an alley way between Winnipeg and Toronto Street. The vehicle appeared stuck in snow. A male known to police was located in the driver’s seat and was arrested for possession of property obtained by crime and impaired driving. Charges are pending in the matter and police are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the RCMP.
Jan. 31
A traffic complaint was called in from Hudson Bay Trailer Court for a snowmobile operator driving around the park at a high rate of speed. Two further calls came in on the same subject, the third caller noting that the sled had crashed into a logging truck parked in a driveway. When police attended they located the owner of the snowmobile who admitted to driving the sled and rolling it near the logging truck. The driver was issued a violation ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act for careless operation and a violation ticket was issued under the MVA for having no insurance. There was no damage to the logging truck. Alcohol was suspected to have been a factor in the incident.
Feb. 2
A single vehicle rollover was reported one kilometre up Hudson Bay Mountain Road. Police located the drive and passenger from a 2001 green Ford pick-up that was on its side in the ditch, and neither had sustained injury. A large slab of ice was noted on the road as a culvert had overflowed onto the otherwise clear roadway. It was determined that road conditions were the cause of the incident.
Feb. 3
A break and enter was reported at a residence on the 3600 block of Railway Avenue. The homeowners told police that they were awoken at 6 a.m. when their bedroom door opened. The door then shut abruptly and they heard some banging around in the home, but they thought it was another member of the family. In the morning the homeowners located a chisel and screwdriver on their island in the kitchen. The kitchen window was shut and locked however the screen was missing and many items from the sill were strewn on the lawn. The RCMP Forensic Identification Services attended to examine the scene and the matter is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the RCMP.
Feb. 4
Smithers Secondary School was broken into on the 4th when suspects took off with a laptop, projector, portable speakers and a guitar. Suspects broke into a portable unit of the school. It is thought the break-in occurred in the early morning. The file is under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP.
Feb. 5
A break-in on the 3600 block of Railway Avenue meant a burglar got away with a Playstation 3 game system and two video games. There was damage to the front door and the screen on the side window. It looked as if the door was kicked-in after a failed attempt to get in through the window. The incident occurred sometime between Feb. 1 and 2. The investigation is still continuing. Information can be called to the detachment at 250-847-3233 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Feb. 7
A break and enter was reported at the Bulkley Valley Learning Centre. The back door of the building had been breached and damaged, and there were fresh tracks leaving the building in the snow. No items were noted to be missing. Police followed the tracks to a residence on Main Street. As a result of the investigation it was determined that two youth and an adult were responsible for the break-in, as well as a break-in at a storage facility on Fulton Avenue late last year. The investigation is still continuing.
Also on Feb. 7, a homeowner called the RCMP that she was woken up by two people banging on her front door for 10 minutes at a home on Lawson Road. When addressed from the homeowner’s balcony, the two said they wanted to use the phone. They left with the request was denied. Both were wearing dark winter clothes and the male was wearing a hat. A short time later the RCMP received a report of an abandoned truck 21 km down Lawson Road. Checks revealed that the vehicle was stolen from Houston the day before. Police attended and located the keys in the ignition but the vehicle battery was dead. The Houston RCMP are investigation this matter.
Feb. 8
A hit and run was reported on the 3000 block of Highway 16. The vehicle owner stated that the entire event was caught on video surveillance and provided a B.C. licence plate number to police for a white Dodge pick-up. Two pieces of a tail lamp left behind at the scene were also seized. Police attended the home of the owner of the pick-up but the owner denied involvement. The suspect vehicle was parked in front of the house and had pieces missing from the tail lights matching those seized by police. The owner was issued a violation ticket under the MVA for failing to stop after a collision with an unattended vehicle and driving without due care and attention.