The Laval Police Dept. says it has identified a white powder found in envelopes mailed to several Laval homes as a harmless substance, although they are still advising residents to remain on the alert should more of the envelopes be received.
The LPD opened an investigation after several residents were seemingly chosen at random by an unknown perpetrator to receive mailed letters containing white powder along with extortion threats.
A spokesperson for the LPD said that at least 10 residents had been identified as having received the mailings. The spokesperson said samples of the powder were sent for analysis to a lab where the substance was eventually declared harmless.
“The results of the analyses conducted on this substance revealed that it was a non-toxic product, non-lethal, and which posed no danger to health,” the LPD said in a statement.
That said, the police warned that persons receiving similar envelopes would be best not to handle their contents and to call 9-1-1 immediately. The LPD said their investigation is still underway to identify who the perpetrators are.
The LPD first became aware of the envelopes on Nov. 13 when a number of Laval residents contacted the police. All the envelopes contained the powder, as well as a letter with threatening statements, and extortion being the perpetrator’s apparent motive.
The LPD is advising anyone who believes they may also have received one of the envelopes to handle it cautiously, to call the police and to wait for officers to arrive. The LPD can be contacted through their special hotline at 450-662-INFO (4636).
SQ catches up to Laval truck thief in Saint-Esprit
A 56-year-old man will be facing charges of vehicle theft and refusing an order to stop from police after he allegedly stole a truck in Laval but only surrendered after a long drive up to Saint-Esprit in the Laurentians.
Around 4:45 pm on Nov. 16, officers with the Sûreté du Québec who were stationed along Autoroute 440 in Laval received a call for assistance from the Laval Police to pursue the grey truck which was reported stolen.
According to a spokesperson for the SQ, officers put down a nail strip on the A-440 near Curé-Labelle Blvd. in an attempt to stop the driver. Despite that, the truck continued eastward.
The vehicle then pursued its route onto the A-25 northward, passing over two more nail strips along the way, eventually getting onto Route 158 and ending up in Saint-Esprit. He was arrested by the SQ and turned over to the Laval Police for the processing of charges.
Laval Fire Dept. calls
November 19: The LFD reported a commercial building on fire on des Laurentides Blvd. in Laval’s Pont-Viau district. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, although there was one unusual development. While carrying out the intervention, they encountered a homeless person in a room of the building.
November19: The LFD responded to a fairly serious two-car collision at the intersection of Jolibourg Blvd. and Avenue des Bois in Laval-sur-le-Lac. Four persons sustained injuries in the accident described by the LFD as involving “high impact velocity.” Firefighters as well as ambulance personnel were summoned to the scene.
Aftermath of Nov. 19 fire on des Laurentides Blvd.
November 13: Fire broke out in a home on Fauteux St. in Laval’s Chomedey district. Flames were apparent when the firefighters arrived on the scene. They called in a code 10-09, meaning rescue operation underway with possible aggravating factors.
November 10: Fire reported by the LFD at one-storey home on Salois St. in Laval’s Auteuil district. Firefighters reported seeing flames inside one of the building’s rooms. They called a code 10-07, meaning intervention was necessary.
