Crime
RCMP investigate car fire at Boyd Autobody
PENTICTON - Police are investigating two arson cases from a local auto body shop, one which was successful in setting a car on fire. RCMP received a call around 4:40 a.m. Friday from a security guard at Boyd Autobody in Penticton. Someone broke into the shop and started a car fire, which has caused smoke...
Fruit picker who fell to his death identified
SOUTH OKANAGAN - A fruit picker who died following an accident last week has been identified as Gabriel Gendreau-Martineau. Gendreau-Martineau, 23, of St. Agathe, QC, spent his summer working on a farm in Osoyoos. While he had concluded his work there, he tented on the property until he planned to leave on Sept. 26. On...
Suspects in custody after break and enter at fast food restaurant
KAMLOOPS - Police members took two suspects into custody after a break and enter at the North Shore Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on 8 Street. Officers responding to the scene determined the front door was smashed. Suspects accessed the cash register. The male suspects were arrested nearby on Tranquille Road. One is a 25-year-old male...
Penticton police officer at risk of being charged with causing injury
PENTICTON - The fate of a Penticton RCMP officer is in the hands of Crown Counsel after a complaint was filed by a woman who allegedly sustained injuries while in police custody. Chief Civilian Director Richard Rosenthal of the Independent Investigations Office filed the report after a complaint was made by the woman involved in...
Penticton man sentenced to five years in prison for sex assault
PENTICTON - A local man was sentenced today to nearly five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual and aggravated assault. Darren MacDonald, 42, appeared in Penticton Supreme Court via video conference from Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre where he has been in custody since Aug. 11, 2013. He pleaded guilty this...
Raising cash for face-to-face meetings between victims and criminals
VERNON - Sitting down at a table with someone who committed a crime against you, getting answers about why they did it, and talking about what can be done to repair the harm isn’t the conventional ending in the justice system. It’s called restorative justice, and has helped people on both sides of the equation...
Social media comes to the rescue in robbery of local shop
PENTICTON - Social media came to the rescue once again for a local shop owner who was able to confront the man who stole from him. Leigh Follestad, owner of SmartShopper on Main Street, posted to Facebook footage from security cameras of a man stealing form his store Tuesday night. Someone saw the video and...
Want to be a correctional officer at the new Okanagan prison?
PENTICTON - B.C. Corrections is looking for South Okanagan residents interested in becoming correctional officers to work at the new prison when it opens in 2016. The Justice Institute and B.C. Corrections will hold information sessions in Osoyoos, Penticton and Oliver throughout October and November. There will be orientation sessions to provide an overview of...
Charges laid after last week’s manhunt
KAMLOOPS – Charges have been laid following a police pursuit of a man reported to be carrying multiple guns last week. RCMP conducted a manhunt after someone reported the suspect became distraught with his bank, returned home and left again in possession of firearms. While a police spokesperson would not confirm the bank at which...
This is how a 76-year-old woman responded to threats from Penticton city hall
PENTICTON - A local woman refuses to apologize to city staff about comments she made in letters sent to city staff and council, and puts herself at risk to be sued. Elvena Slump, 76, has been an outspoken member of the public and has written several letters to local media and city council critical of...
Family sets up memorial fund for hit-and-run victim
PENTICTON - The family of a young man killed in a hit-and-run accident have set up a memorial fun in his name to help support the three young children that survive him. Scott Michaud, 27, was found dead in the early morning of August 12 alongside Skaha Lake Road in Penticton. Police said Michaud’s injuries...
Locks cut, items stolen from Oliver storage lockers
OLIVER - Several storage lockers were broken into Monday night at a storage facility in Oliver, according to police. At least seven lockers had their locks cut off and appeared to have been rummaged through and an undetermined amount of property was stolen, RCMP reported. The name of the storage facility is not being released...
Jail time already served, man walks away on probation
PENTICTON - An Oliver man was sentenced Monday for charges related to a car bomb explosion last August. Eric Olivier Daoust pled guilty to mischief over $5,000 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail plus two years of probation. He already served the jail time so he walked out of Penticton Provincial Court on...
Police search for bear spraying robber
KELOWNA – RCMP officers are searching for a suspect who sprayed bear spray after robbing the Dilworth Drive Scotia Bank Tuesday afternoon. Before deploying the spray, a man walked in the bank with his face covered and demanded cash. He fled with an undisclosed amount. After searching the scene, police were unable to find the...
RCMP see surge in thefts due to residents’ negligence
KELOWNA – Calling it a “crime of opportunity” Mounties are advising Kelowna residents to keep doors and windows locked when leaving home; thieves are taking advantage of those who fail to do so. Unlocked doors and open windows have led to a surge of break-and-enter cases in the city, with officers noting most offenses in...