A collision around 4:45 pm on Friday Oct. 14 between two vehicles at the corner of Dagenais and Curé Labelle boulevards ended up causing additional damage when a lamp standard in the middle of the roadway collapsed atop several other vehicles waiting in the traffic.
According to a Laval Police Dept. accident report, one vehicle was heading south on Curé Labelle when a second vehicle came out of the parking lot near a McDonald’s restaurant and turned southward on Curé Labelle.
The two cars collided near the intersection with Dagenais. Following this, one of them (a BMW) struck a street light standard in the centre median, which fell atop the BMW, as well as a Kia Forte and a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
LPD investigates garage fire on Cléroux near 100th
The Laval Police Dept. has launched an investigation following a fire which broke out in a garage next to a residence on Cléroux Blvd., after it was deemed suspicious by the Laval Fire Dept.
The blaze took place on the morning of Saturday Oct. 15 near 100th Ave. in Chomedey. Not long after 9 am, 9-1-1 received a call reporting smoke billowing from the building. A great deal of black smoke visible for a quite a distance led to many more calls being received at 9-1-1.
Around 9:15 am when the firefighters arrived, it soon became apparent to them that there was a danger the fire in the garage might spread to the adjoining house. Keeping it under control, they managed to declare the incident over by 10: 15 am, with most damage limited to the garage.
Damages have been estimated at $30,000 for the building and a further $20,000 for its contents.
LPD makes five arrests in restaurant extortion racket
The Laval Police said earlier this week that they made five arrests in connection with an extortion ring which allegedly was operating in Laval as well as on the North Shore.
In a statement, the LPD alleged the ring targeted local restaurant owners, offering a “protection service” in exchange for cash. At least one victim who refused to pay was targeted by death threats as well as threats their restaurant would be burned down.
The suspects face charges of arson, possession of incendiary materials, mischief and armed assault.
Marc Arthur Aurélien, 47, is alleged to have set fire to a restaurant on Curé-Labelle Blvd. in Chomedey on July 5. He was arraigned in court and remains in custody.
As well, Jean Jacques Tuelenake, 20, Tommy Gabriel Collin-Arias, 28, and Majdi Benbaha, 23, are alleged to have committed an armed assault against a victim while he was attending a party on July 9. Collin-Arias and Benbaha remain in custody, while Tuelenake was freed with conditions pending his next court appearance.
Isai Octavius, 20, also faces charges of setting fire to a restaurant on Curé-Labelle Blvd. on Oct. 7. He appeared in court and was released with conditions.
Ex-teacher jailed six years for sex abuse of eight-year-old
A 43-year-old former grade school teacher from Laval was sentenced to six years in prison last week after previously being found guilty of sexually abusing an eight-year-old boy while she was acting as his tutor.
Josianne Lévesque, who was in custody since last May, pleaded guilty at the Laval courthouse a year ago to having sexual contacts with the boy.
She had previously been the boy’s teacher in grade two at a private school in Montreal. According to evidence presented during the trial, she abused him sexually over a period of 17 months.
Lévesque gained the trust of the boy’s parents who took her on as his tutor. She took him out on excursions as a reward when he did well academically, but abused him sexually at the same time. According to the testimony, the boy suffered lasting trauma, including nightmares, flashbacks and insomnia.
