Our semi-regular roundup of the oddball offences committed across Canada
Nova Scotia: An 18-year-old was arrested after a Halifax homeowner awoke to find smoke pouring from his barbecue. The accused had allegedly cooked up some ribs he’d found in a freezer, then fled when they began to burn. The police, with the help of a dog unit, found him hiding in a nearby yard, wielding a knife.
Prince Edward Island: Police are investigating a series of drive-by paintball shootings in Charlottetown. Two men in a Volkswagen Golf drove through the capital at night aiming at businesses and homes, hitting a dog walker and patrons outside Razzy’s Roadhouse with rounds of colourful paint. “Young fellas got nothing better to do I guess,” said the restaurant manager.
New Brunswick: Warrants are out for the arrest of a woman who resigned from the Moncton charity she founded after it emerged she’d defrauded a charity in the past and was accused of stealing from another. In 2005, she was convicted of embezzling $52,000 from Victim Services, an Ontario charity she ran. She was charged in 2008 with stealing almost $400,000 from the Canadian Progress Club in Alberta.
Quebec: A mere month after his release from prison for two bank robberies, a 45-year-old man is back in jail again for allegedly embarking on a prolific crime bender as soon as he was set free. He is charged with committing 15 armed robberies. Correctional Services had assessed him as likely to reoffend, but discharged him anyway.
Saskatchewan: A 14-year-old boy was taken into police custody after driving a stolen truck packed with eight children huddling in the back. His inexperience manoeuvring a vehicle became obvious when he tried to flee after initially slowing down for police and then was unable to regain traction on the frozen road. The four children under 10 returned home safely; the others, including the driver, face Youth Criminal Justice charges.