Officers from the Laval Police Department arrested two young males on weapons charges last week after they allegedly tried to flee from the police.
The LPD said that officers stopped a vehicle Thursday Jan. 20 around 5 p.m., following which the driver gave a fake name and tried to flee. The officers proceeded to arrest the two suspects, 21 and 22 years old respectively, while seizing a 9 mm. firearm.
Police placed the 21-year-old under arrest for possessing a firearm, breaching conditions, and obstruction of justice. At the same time, the 22-year-old was arrested for obstruction of justice and possessing a firearm illegally.
Both were in custody, pending court appearances last Friday. The arrests were part of the province-wide Operation Centaure, an anti-gun trafficking and anti-violence program that the LPD is taking part in.
While announcing the arrests, the LPD noted that the City of Laval increased its budget to allow for the hiring of more staff on the Equinox Squadron as well, as in the force’s criminal investigation division, thus increasing police presence throughout Laval’s territory.
Anyone who believes they may have information about the arrested suspects is invited by the LPD to call their confidential Info-Line at 450 662-INFO (4636) or 911. The file number is LVL 220120-074.
Laval man arrested as York Regional Police recover 50 stolen vehicles
Investigators with the York Regional Police just north of Toronto say Ali El-hage, age 20, of the City of Laval was among the suspects arrested following the recovery of 50 stolen vehicles valued at around $3 million in an ongoing YRP probe called Project Extinction.
According to the YRP, in the past several years they received an increase in reports concerning thefts of vehicles from residential driveways. The majority of these occurred between midnight and 6 a.m.
Car thieves were using tools such as screwdrivers to gain access through the driver or passenger doors, while making certain not to set off alarms.
Once inside, an electronic device, typically used by mechanics to reprogram the factory setting, would be connected to a port below the dashboard in order to program the vehicle to accept a key the thieves brought with them. The vehicle was then driven away.
The entire process only takes between 10 to 20 minutes, according to the YRP, and the stolen vehicles are typically sent overseas in shipping containers.
In the YRP Auto/Cargo Theft Unit’s investigation, eight suspects were identified and seven were charged following search warrants executed at two residences and a commercial property. At the same time, police seized $80,000 in cash.
Police intervene when Laval man barricades against bailiffs
A major police standoff got underway in Laval on the afternoon of Tuesday Jan. 18 after a man reacted badly to being served some legal papers by bailiffs.
Two bailiffs arrived outside an apartment on Laurentides St., near Sand St. in Laval’s Auteuil sector of just before 1 p.m. Although police weren’t informed as to what kind of legal notice the bailiffs were serving the man, he reacted in a way that alarmed the bailiffs enough to call the police.
Although he didn’t make any threats, an LPD spokesperson said the bailiffs decided to walk a distance from the address to call for assistance to get their job done. When police finally arrived, according to police, the man barricaded himself in his dwelling and remained there past 6 p.m., alone apparently the whole time.
While no one was injured during the incident, no threats were made, and there was no clear evidence of the use or potential use of a weapon, as per the procedure used by police in such situations, they continued attempts to establish contact with him to ensure the situation was under control.
To that effect, there was a major response team set up on the street, with firefighters, mental health responders and others ready to intervene if necessary.
Man, 40, arrested after going behind walls at Cité de la Santé
A middle-age man was placed under arrest by the LPD last week at Laval’s Cité de la Santé general hospital after it was discovered he had entered a crawl space next to the emergency department while trying to get away.
After initially being spotted and seen as suspicious by hospital personnel, he is said to have fled to some washrooms, where he climbed up through the false ceiling and entered the crawl space area.
According to LPD spokesperson Chantal Moreau, it took around an hour for the police to locate him within the walls of the hospital.
He was placed under arrest and a file with information on the incident has been sent to the provincial Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) to follow up with formal charges. Cité de la Santé security personnel are said to be working on a strategy in the meantime to assure there are no such further incidents.
