OPP recover stolen plates in fuel theft investigation

November 25, 2015

On Nov. 19 at approximately 1 p.m., police received a report of a vehicle having filled up with fuel at the Canadian Tire Gas Bar in the town of Bancroft, and leaving that business without paying.

Police officers with the Bancroft detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police located the vehicle a short time later and spoke with the driver.

After investigation, it was determined that the vehicle’s licence plate was not associated to that vehicle, and had been reported stolen from the Belleville city area earlier in the month. The driver was arrested and brought back to the Bancroft OPP detachment.

Charged with theft under $5,000; possession of property obtained by crime and failure to comply with a probation order is a 20-year-old man of Belleville.

He was subsequently released on a promise to appear with a first appearance date of Jan. 12 in Bancroft criminal court.

RIDE check leads to many charges

On Nov. 18, prior to 3:30 p.m., police officers with the Bancroft detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police were conducting a RIDE spot check program on Madawaska Road in the Municipality of Hastings Highlands.

While dealing with vehicles, the officers observed that one of the drivers had an open alcoholic beverage in the vehicle with him, and determined that he had been drinking.

The driver was provided a roadside breath demand, and provided a breath sample to police to determine the concentration of alcohol in his system.

Analysis of this sample resulted in a “warn” reading of having over 50 mgs of alcohol in 100 mls of blood but still below the legal limit of 80 mgs of alcohol in 100 mls of blood. As a result the driver’s licence was suspended for three days.

Further, the driver was charged with using a plate not authorized for vehicle, contrary to the Highway Traffic Act; operating a motor vehicle without insurance, contrary to the controlled Automobile Insurance Act; and driving a motor vehicle with an open container of liquor, contrary to the Liquor Licence Act.

A 58-year-old man was issued summons for the offences, and is required to attend provincial offences court in Bancroft on Dec. 1.

Get your vehicle ready for winter

Police are offering the following safety tips:

Install four winter tires; have an ice-scraper or snow brush in your vehicle at all times; keep your windshield washer fluid filled and keep an extra container in your vehicle; keep your fuel tank at least half full in case you get stranded and to prevent condensation in the tank; keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. Submitted