Monday, April 28, 2003

BATCHAWANA MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULTS
Batchawana, Ont.,

An ongoing sexual assault investigation by the Sault Ste. Marie OPP Crime Unit has resulted in seven sex related criminal charges against a Batchawana man

Sixty-one-year-old Robert Archibald of Batchawana was arrested by Crime Unit members late Friday evening. He faces a total of seven sex related charges. The charges include four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual exploitation, and one count of sexual interference. The lone female victim in this case is under the age of fourteen.


BATCHAWANA BREAK AND ENTERS
Batchawana, Ont.,

Sault Ste. Marie O.P.P. is investigating two break and enters in the village of Batchawana over the weekend.

Late Friday afternoon police were advised of two break and enters to a private home and a business. The estimated value of stolen property is valued at about $30,000.00.

The investigation so far has indicated that both properties were forcibly entered. Once inside the culprits ransacked and damaged the interior of the house and the business. The list of missing property, so far, includes televisions, electronics, jewellery and other assorted items.

Batchawana is 90 kms north of Sault Ste Marie. Police would like to hear from anyone that may have seen anyone or anything suspicious in that area since last Thursday. You can call the O.P.P. toll free at 1-888-310?1122 or Crime Stoppers at 942-7867 and 1-800-222-8477(TIPS).

So far none of the property has been recovered.


MONTREAL RIVER STRUCTURE FIRE
Montreal River, Ont.,

Police were called to an isolated structure fire in the Montreal River area over the weekend.

Late Friday afternoon Sault Ste. Marie O.P.P. were called to an isolated home at the site of the Copper Core Mine Site near Montreal River. A home on that site was burned to the ground. This structure was used to house the security person who watches and cares for the abandoned mine site.

Members of the Forensic Identification Unit of the OPP attended the scene and are examining several forensic samples removed by the officers.

So far the cause of the fire remains unknown.


DRIVER CHARGED WITH IMPAIRED
Goulais River, Ont.,

Sault Ste. Marie O.P.P., with the assistance from members of the public, removed another impaired driver from the roadways

On Saturday evening at about 6:30 p.m. a resident of Pineshores Road in Goulais River reported a strange vehicle parked on Pineshores Road and the two occupants of the car were not sleeping but passed out.

Officers arrived and found the two occupants still passed out. The passenger had an open bottle of beer between his legs and there was an open case of beer in the back seat of the car.

The driver was arrested and returned to the OPP detachment where he failed the intoxilyzer tests. He and the passenger were also issued tickets for the various liquor offences

Forty-two-year-old Ivan Robinson of Sault Ste Marie will make his first court appearance on May 26 to answer to these charges.


JOINT FORCES DRUG UNIT RAID FINDS HUNDREDS OF PLANTS
Goulais River, Ont.,

The Joint Forces Drug Unit in Sault Ste Marie seized just under 500 Marihuana plants in a raid on Friday.

Members of the Sault Ste. Marie O.P.P. detachment assisted the officers from the Joint Forces Drug Unit in a raid on a Pineshores Drive home in Goulais River Friday morning.

The officers located 471 marihuana plants, about 90 grams of processed marihuana and a quantity of morphine.

The occupants of the house were not at home at the time of the raid but they did surrender themselves to OPP officers later in the weekend.

Paul and Sherri Faubert, both in their early forties, now face three charges each under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act. They both will appear in court on May 26 2003 to answer to the charges.


FATAL HIGHWAY ACCIDENT
Manitoulin Island

Early Sunday morning at 2:40 a 2000 Dodge Durango was northbound on Highway #6 about 8 kms south of Little Current on Manitoulin Island. The vehicle left the road and went into the ditch and rolled over. A female passenger, Josette Marie Fox, age 27, of Sheguiandah Ontario, was ejected. She was taken to the Little Current Health Centre where she was pronounced dead.

As a result of the initial investigation, the driver was arrested at the scene and taken to Little Current. He has been charged with Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle causing Death, Driving with over .08 mgs of Alcohol causing Death and Dangerous Operation causing Death. He is Alen Raphael Pangowish, age 34 of Sheguiandah.

Manitoulin O.P.P. is investigating with assistance from the Manitoulin Crime Unit and the O.P.P. Regional Technical Traffic Collision Investigator.

Pangowish was released on a promise to appear in Gore Bay Criminal Court on Monday, May 26 at 10:00 a.m.