Multiple law enforcement agencies are still seeking a gun-toting federal offender known to frequent the Windsor area — Gurfathe Singh Kooner.

According to the Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement squad, Kooner has been “unlawfully at large” since April 2016. He’s supposed to be serving a three-year federal sentence for an array of firearm offences, including possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition.

Gurfathe Singh Kooner in a mug shot provided by Windsor police.

Windsor police have had Kooner on their “wanted in Windsor” list since November 2015. The charges that put him there include: three counts of fraud over $5,000; two counts of breaching recognizance; uttering death threats; surety removal; and failing to attend court.

Meanwhile, the Essex detachment of OPP want Kooner on even more gun charges: unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm with its serial number removed; breach of firearm regulations; and two counts of possession of a firearm contrary to a court order.

Kooner, 31, is described as a large, tattooed man. He stands six-foot-three and weighs around 240 pounds. He has brown eyes and dark hair. When authorities last knew of his whereabouts, he had a shaved head and a goatee.

Kooner’s tattoos include a tiger on his right forearm, barbed wire around his right wrist, tribal symbols on both forearms, and stylized Punjabi on the right side of his neck.

Kooner is also known to frequent the Toronto area.

Anyone who has contact with this individual or information about his whereabouts is encouraged to contact the ROPE squad at 416-808-5900 or 1-866-870-ROPE (7673).

Windsor police can be contacted with tips about Kooner at 519-258-6111.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Gurfathe Kooner leaves the Superior Court building in Windsor in November 2012.

Kooner’s federal sentence stems from an investigation and arrest of him in November 2009. Acting on a tip that Kooner had guns, Windsor police followed him as he left his residence on Manning Road in a pickup truck.

As the vehicle travelled in the Forest Glade area, Kooner was seen throwing a bag out his window. The bag was later recovered and found to contain two handguns, a sock full of ammunition, and a high-capacity magazine.

After a protracted trial, Kooner was convicted and sentenced in 2013. He immediately appealed the decision, and was granted bail.

Windsor police further examined the trucking company that Kooner ran. In November 2015, following a five-month investigation, police laid fraud charges against him related to trucks that had been reported stolen.

According to the financial crimes unit, Kooner’s company sold vehicles to other companies, then reported the vehicles as being stolen. Six dump trucks and one trailer were identified as part of the alleged scheme.

Four of those vehicles were being leased at the time they were sold. As well, Kooner’s company allegedly received insurance payouts on two of the “stolen” vehicles. Total financial losses exceeded $375,000.

One man is in hospital and another in police custody after an altercation on a Transit Windsor bus Saturday night.

Police responded to a call around 8:30 p.m. of a fight at Drouillard Road and Seminole Street.

A man in his 50s was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He remains in hospital as of Sunday morning.

A second man in his early 20s was arrested. He remains in custody.

A police spokeswoman said police are “not sure who’s the victim and who’s the aggravated party.”

They did recover a knife at the scene.

No charges have been laid but the investigation continues.

jkotsis@postmedia.com

twitter.com/JulieKotsis

Provincial police say they have tracked down a burglar who got scared and ran off after an elderly woman confronted him in her home.

The break and enter occurred Sept. 24, 2016, around 5 a.m. in the 2000 block of Manning Road in Lakeshore. Essex County OPP said an elderly woman was awoken by her alarm and the sounds of voices in her home.  

She confronted two men who allegedly broke into her garage and her house. The two men were startled and ran off.

Police said they obtained forensic evidence from the home that lead to one arrest. Paul Kelly, 30, is charged with two counts of break and enter. Police said they are still trying to identify the second man.

Anyone with information can call the OPP street crime unit at 519-723-2491 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

The Special Investigations Unit has announced more charges against a Chatham-Kent police officer who is already facing accusations of sexual assault.

The SIU said on Monday that Const. Kenneth Miller of the Chatham-Kent Police Service is facing new charges of sexual assault and breach of trust by a public officer in relation to a May 4, 2013 allegation made by a 33-year-old woman.

Miller, 46, is expected to attend the Ontario Court of Justice in Chatham on April 4.

“The matter is now properly before the courts,” stated the SIU in a release.

“In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment.”

Miller was previously investigated by SIU for an allegation regarding a 23-year-old woman on Aug. 23, 2015.

The woman alleged that she was driven in a marked cruiser to a parking lot in the north end of Chatham-Kent and sexually assaulted there.

In June 2016, as a result of the investigation, SIU concluded there were reasonable grounds for Miller to be charged with sexual assault and breach of trust.

Windsor police are hoping the public can help identify three people responsible for the theft of a ring from a jewelery store on Howard Avenue.

The crime occurred on the afternoon of March 16 at a business in the 2800 block of Howard Avenue.

As recorded by security cameras, two females entered the store around 1:15 p.m. and spoke with a staff member about getting a closer look at a ring.

The ring was brought out. The two women examined it, then gave it back to the employee and left the store.

A few minutes later, the same two women entered the store and asked to see the ring again.

One of the females appeared to be communicating via cellphone with an accomplice — a male outside the entrance of the business.

This time, instead of giving back the ring, the two women walked out of the store with it.

They met up with the male and all three ran north through a parking lot and into a grey car.

They left the area in the car and were last seen heading north.

All three suspects are described as black in their 20s or 30s.

The male has a slender build. At the time of the crime, he was wearing dark blue jeans and prescription eye glasses.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call property crime investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4354.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

A 20-year-old man is facing a public intoxication charge after he urinated on a fully marked Chatham-Kent police cruiser while its officer watched from the driver’s seat.

The incident happened around 1:30 a.m. Friday outside a bar on Main Street in Ridgetown.

The officer noticed a man leaving the bar. The man walked over to the police cruiser, looked at the officer, and proceeded to urinate on the vehicle.

The officer exited the cruiser and approached the man — whose breath had a strong odour of alcohol.

The urinator was arrested and charged. In addition to the public intoxication charge, he was charged with a municipal violation: causing a nuisance in a public place.

Chatham-Kent police said the man remained in custody until he sobered up.

Violent offender Michael Wilfred Allard was once warned by a Superior Court judge that his criminal record was so bad, he might be kept behind bars indefinitely.

Allard racked up more convictions Tuesday, this time for forcing a troubled teenager into prostitution, but plea bargained his way to being released with time served.

Allard, 33, pleaded guilty to uttering death threats and deriving a financial benefit from prostitution. His accomplice, Johnathan Richard Malott, 25, pleaded guilty to being a party to forcible confinement.

The two men, who have been in jail for about 1½ years awaiting trial, were sentenced Tuesday to time served.

Allard’s girlfriend, Page Holly Dalgleish, 22, had human trafficking charges against her dismissed in exchange for agreeing to a restraining order. She can’t contact the victim or come within 100 metres of her.

The victim’s identity is protected by a publication ban.

Court heard Tuesday the victim came to Malott on Oct. 24, 2015 looking to buy pot. Malott introduced the-then 19 year old to Allard, taking her to the apartment Allard shared with Dalgleish. The two men took the teen into the bedroom where they photographed her in various stages of undress. The photos were used for an ad they posted on a website called backpage.com.

Allard became the teen’s pimp, booking appointments with clients. He kept all the money she made from turning tricks.

Except for meeting clients, the girl was not allowed to leave the apartment. Allard told her, “If you leave, I will (expletive) kill you.”

On Oct. 28, 2015, Allard took the teen to a residence where she was to meet a client. From that residence the teen was able to contact police and escape.

“Everyday, I live in misery and unhappiness,” the young woman said in a statement read out in court Tuesday. She said she still lives in fear.

Allard, Malott and Dalgleish were all to stand trial this week on human trafficking charges. The victim did not come to court on Monday when she was to testify, so the judge adjourned the trial for a day so police could find her. When she showed up on Tuesday, the lawyers for Allard, Malott and Dalgleish began plea negotiations with the prosecutor.

Assistant Crown attorney Craig Houle said the plea bargain spared the “vulnerable” victim from having to face her captors and testify.

“These are her wishes,” Houle said. “Not having to testify and being cross-examined, not having to relive what happened and being revictimized.”

Malott was a fentanyl addict at the time of the crime, defence lawyer Linda McCurdy told the court. Being in jail has made him clean and sober.

“Eighteen months is my longest period of incarceration. I had time to get my head on straight,” Malott told Justice Steven Rogin.

Malott’s criminal record of 19 convictions pales in comparison to Allard’s violent record that includes 61 convictions.

In 2013, Allard put a man in a coma during a robbery. During a 2010 robbery of a gay man, Allard beat his victim to a pulp while yelling homophobic slurs at him. In 2002, he was convicted for stealing his mother’s car, hitting a pedestrian and trying to run over a police officer while attempting to flee. He led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash.

Allard’s record also includes convictions for spousal assault, drug trafficking and escaping police custody.

In 2015, he was sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary for the violent robbery of a man riding his bike away from a pawn shop. At the time of that sentencing, Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas told Allard he was a “prime candidate” to be declared a dangerous offender someday. Such a designation could keep him behind bars indefinitely.

Yet Allard has racked up another handful of convictions since that time. After being arrested and freed on bail following the human trafficking charges, Allard was caught in possession of drugs.

Tuesday’s judge told Allard and Malott they should consider themselves lucky to get such a lenient sentence. Crimes involving human trafficking usually invite “much longer sentences,” he said. 

Their sentenced deemed served, Allard and Malott are now on probation for three years.

ssacheli@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/WinStarSacheli

Windsor police are looking for a man who robbed an east-end convenience store early Thursday by threatening that he had a gun.

Officers were called to the Mac’s store at 4675 Seminole St., shortly before 4 a.m.

The store clerk told police that a man had approached the counter, said that he was carrying a firearm, and demanded money.

The robber went behind the counter to remove a quantity of cash from the register, then fled on foot.

No firearm was seen and no one was hurt.

The perpetrator was described as a white male who looked around 35 to 40 years old, perhaps five-foot-10 in height, with a slim build.

At the time of the crime, he was wearing a black nylon jacket with light brown sleeves and hood, grey jogging pants, and white running shoes.

A security camera recorded an image of the suspect.

Anyone with information about this incident or this individual is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Windsor police are advising the public to be wary of door-to-door solicitors after a recent incident where a local woman was confronted at her home by two men who claimed to be furnace workers.

The incident happened on March 31 around 6:45 p.m. in the 1400 block of Norman Road. The woman — who was alone in the house at the time — answered a knock at her door to find two men in work clothes with yellow stripes.

One of the men had a clipboard and was wearing an ID tag that was flipped backwards and couldn’t be read.

The men said they were there about a new regulation that required a yellow sticker to be placed on the home’s furnace. They insisted that they needed to enter the building.

Although the men were persistent, the woman did not believe them and refused to allow them entry.

The two men eventually left.

The resident then contacted police. After reviewing the incident, investigators think the two men weren’t being forthcoming about the true reasons for their visit.

Police remind the public to be cautious when strangers who claim to be door-to-door solicitors request entry to your residence.

Residents are never obligated to allow door-to-door solicitors into their home. Always verify identification and use discretion, especially if the visit has not been prearranged.

If a visit seems suspicious to you, call police at 519-258-6111.

The two men in the March 31 incident are described as follows:

• A male with dark olive skin and short dark hair, about six feet tall, appearing to be in his late 20s or early 30s. At the time, he wore a black work coat with yellow stripes.
• A male with light skin and short brown hair, about five-foot-nine with a skinny build. He appeared to be younger than his accomplice. He also wore a black coat with yellow stripes and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about the March 31 incident is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4312 or speak anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

dchen@postmedia.com

A language barrier with police has become an issue in the case against a Chinese man from Windsor accused of sexually assaulting a student in Michigan.

Ningan Hu, 63, is facing four counts of criminal sexual misconduct in relation to an incident that allegedly occurred in May 2016.

Hu worked in Windsor as a driving instructor. A 25-year-old Chinese woman who had been studying here was taking lessons from him when they travelled to Livingston County, Mich.

According to the woman, Hu plied her with alcohol, then groped her and forced himself upon her.

The Livingston Daily reported that Hu had a court appearance earlier this week where the presiding judge expressed concern that Hu may not have understood what was being said when he was first interviewed by police.

The court heard that Hu’s native language is Mandarin. Detectives with the Livingston County Sheriff’s office spoke with Hu through an interpreter — including communication of his Miranda rights, such as the right to remain silent.

The interpreter was obtained through LanguageLine Solutions — a U.S.-based private service that the interviewing detective had not used before.

Hu’s lawyer argued that Hu’s statement to police should be suppressed.

But the prosecuting attorney said that Hu’s manner and responses in the 80-minute interview showed he was “orientated to the substance of each question” and eager to tell his side of the story.

Hu’s next court appearance has been tentatively set for May 1.

An expert translator is being sought to examine everything that was said in the original interview, and assess the accuracy of the interpreter at the time.

The court heard that Hu keeps a residence in the township of Hartland in Livingston County, and that’s where the assault allegedly occurred.

Hu’s charges consist of: two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree and two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree.

The Michigan penal code describes criminal sexual conduct in the third degree — a felony — as sexual penetration with force or coercion.

The same charge in the fourth degree is the misdemeanour version and only requires sexual contact.

The maximum penalty for the misdemeanour is two years imprisonment and a $500 fine. The maximum penalty for the felony is 15 years and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

— With files from the Livingston Daily Press & Argus

An RCMP-led investigation into a massive cocaine importation ring has resulted in numerous arrests — including a Leamington man.

Philip Boutrous, 42, of Leamington, was among a dozen people arrested after law enforcement agencies seized 38.5 kilograms of cocaine in a series of raids.

The estimated street value of the uncovered drugs is more than $1.5 million.

The joint police investigation — entitled Project Owing — began last year and involved the Kitchener detachment of RCMP, Waterloo regional police, the Canada Border Services Agency, U.S. Homeland Security, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Fourteen search warrants were executed this week, mostly in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, but also in Toronto and Leamington.

Police allege that the illegal operation smuggled drugs into Canada from the U.S. via commercial motor vehicles.

Those arrested so far were allegedly involved in “the logistical side of the importation, arranging for the transportation of the cocaine … by hiding it in loads of legitimate cargo,” RCMP said.

The Leamington man and other accused from Kitchener and Cambridge face charges that include importation of a controlled substance and conspiring to import a controlled substance.

Police said their investigation continues and more charges are anticipated.

Windsor police are looking for a man and a woman who were involved in a fight in the lobby of a downtown apartment building where a painful spray was used.

Police were notified of the altercation around 10 p.m. Sunday in the 900 block of Ouellette Avenue.

According to witnesses, two unknown people — a male and a female — tried to force their way into the building.

When others tried to stop them, the man allegedly brandished and discharged a “noxious spray” — possibly anti-bear pepper spray.

Another woman took the brunt of the spray.

A security employee tried to help the situation and was attacked by one of the suspects.

The suspects fled. Both the sprayed woman and the security guard suffered minor injuries.

Police are treating the incident as an assault.

The male suspect is described as white, perhaps in his 40s or 50s, about five-foot-seven in height with a thin build. He had a shaven head and a grey goatee. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black windbreaker, white pants, and white running shoes.

The female suspect is described as white, appearing to be in her 30s, about five-foot-two in height with a medium build. She had long black hair and a neck tattoo. At the time of the incident, she was wearing a beige T-shirt, blue jeans, and sandals.

Anyone with information about these individuals or this incident is encouraged to contact investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Windsor police are once again warning the public about the dangers of tech-savvy scammers after an elderly local woman lost more than $5,000 to online criminals.

Police spokesman Const. Andrew Drouillard said the victim was defrauded of most of the money in a complicated series of lies that culminated at the end of March — but the scammers had been in contact with the victim for two years prior.

“This had been going on for a period of time,” Drouillard said. “She had been giving small amounts of money.”

The criminals initially contacted the victim by phone under the guise of computer technicians. In the final incident, they convinced the victim that they had made a mistake installing software on her computer and needed to give her a refund.

Through the course of their lies, the scammers were given remote access to the victim’s computer and viewed her online banking information. They took advantage of her pity and persuaded her to give them money in the form of gift cards.

All the interactions between the scammers and the victim took place online or over the phone.

“A lot of times, fraudsters will try to draw you in with a feeling of urgency,” Drouillard said. “It’s very sophisticated. They play on people’s emotions.”

The scheme typically begins with the victim being informed his or her computer has been compromised and is in need of software repair. The scammers offer to fix the computer via remote access. They may even run programs or change settings to make it appear they’re doing something important.

The criminals then ask for payment via credit card, gift card, or transfer of funds.

Windsor police remind the public to remain vigilant about online fraud and always be suspicious of unsolicited calls or messages involving computer service.

It’s no secret such scammers target the elderly. Drouillard advised people to be mindful of those in their family who may be vulnerable to this type of scheme.

“Not everybody is getting the message,” Drouillard admitted.

Those who believe they or people they know have fallen prey to scammers are encouraged to speak with the financial crimes unit at 519-255-6700 ext. 4330.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

A 20-year-old Amherstburg woman is facing charges after LaSalle police seized 130 capsules of fentanyl on Tuesday.

Police were conducting an investigation into trafficking of the potent opioid in its powder form.

The female suspect was subsequently arrested. Officers estimate the street value of the seized drugs at $9,100.

Charges against the woman include possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking and four counts of breaching bail conditions.

Also arrested in the investigation was a 24-year-old Windsor male. LaSalle police charged him with one count of breaching bail conditions.

The names of those arrested have not been released.

LaSalle police remind the community of the dangers of opiate use, and encourage anyone who has information about local drug trafficking to call officers at 519-969-5210.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Two LaSalle men are facing child pornography charges after months of investigation by the Windsor police Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.

The investigation began earlier this year when the unit received a tip in relation to child pornography possession.

On Tuesday, members of the unit — accompanied by LaSalle police officers — executed a search warrant on a residence in the 6800 block of Malden Road.

Computers and electronic storage devices were seized.

According to Windsor police, the offending material appears to be Internet-related, and the victims in the material do not appear to have any local connections.

Two male residents of the address were arrested and charged.

Michael Hardstone, 46, faces two counts of possessing child pornography and one count of accessing child pornography.

Roger Maillet, 48, faces one count of possessing child pornography.

The ICE unit advises that this investigation remains active.

Anyone with information about child pornography offences — particularly as they relate to the Internet — is encouraged to contact investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4894.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

A coach with a local youth volleyball club is facing numerous charges after Windsor police investigated an allegedly inappropriate relationship between him and a female minor.

The major crimes unit began investigating the allegations involving the Genesis Volleyball Club on April 9.

Police said detectives determined that at the time of the reported offence, the female victim was under the age of 18.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday without incident.

Arthur Yanamoto, 51, of Windsor, has been charged with making child pornography, telecommunication with a minor for the specific criminal offence of making child pornography, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and extortion.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4819.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Canadian company directories describe Yanamoto as one of the directors of the Genesis Volleyball Club, which incorporated in 2010 and serves female teenage athletes.

Yanamoto is also described as the operations manager of Axxon Computer Corporation, a Windsor-based independent computer design firm.

Windsor police are searching for a man with a ponytail suspected of being responsible for a stabbing incident at a hotel in the south end of the city.

Police responded shortly after 3 a.m. to a report of a fight in the parking lot of Comfort Inn Windsor at 2955 Dougall Ave.

Officers arrived to find a 20-year-old male suffering from stab wounds and facial lacerations.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment. His injuries are considered non-life threatening.

The suspect is described as a male with tan skin and a stocky build, around six feet tall and 200 pounds in weight. He appeared to be in his 20s to 30s.

At the time of the incident, the suspect had a thin moustache and “chinstrap”-style facial hair. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

He was wearing dark jeans, a black baseball cap, and a lightly coloured jacket.

The Windsor police major crimes unit is continuing to investigate. Forensic officers have examined the scene at the hotel.

At press time, the weapon used in the altercation had not been found.

Investigators don’t believe this was a random incident.

Anyone with information about the suspect or what happened is encouraged to call detectives at 519-255-6700 ext. 4826. Anyone who sees someone matching the description of the suspect is advised not to approach — instead, call 911.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Windsor police vehicles at the parking lot of Comfort Inn Windsor, 2955 Dougall Ave. Police investigated a stabbing at the hotel that occurred during the early morning hours of April 15, 2017.

One man is facing an attempted murder charge and another is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a bloody attack involving a machete in Leamington early Easter Sunday.

OPP said they were called around 2:50 a.m. about an incident in the area of Plumbrook Drive and Oak Street East on the east side of Leamington.

The crime scene stretched for blocks with a blood trail that zigzagged the neighbourhood.

Police said the victim was a 42-year-old Leamington man. At press time, he remained in hospital with critical injuries.

A 32-year-old male is in custody and will be charged with attempted murder.

OPP officers work at the scene of an assault on Plumbrook Drive south of Oak Street East in Leamington, Sunday, April 16, 2017.

Large sections of the neighbourhood were shut down for most of Sunday as OPP tactical team members, K-9 unit and forensic officers dealt with the situation.

Residents said they were awoken by the flashing lights and flurry of police activity.

“It’s kind of surreal, to see this kind of crap happen literally right in your front lawn,” lamented homeowner Allan Grundner, pointing to evidence markers at the edge of his yard.

“Not even 12 hours ago, my friend from the Toronto area had their car parked right where those two cones are.”

Yellow tape cordoned the neighbourhood and dozens of evidence markers littered the streets — most of them indicating where blood had fallen.

Police did not release information about what happened until 7:45 p.m. — almost 17 hours after the incident took place.

“It’s been an interesting morning,” Grundner said.

Rumours swirled among residents. Grundner said the worst thing to happen in the neighbourhood before Sunday’s occurrence was noise from a nearby apartment building.

“Most of the people around here are good people, so I’m not too worried,” he added.

OPP officers work at the scene of an assault on Plumbrook Drive south of Oak Street East in Leamington, Sunday, April 16, 2017.

Alec Gabriel, who lives on the corner of Plumbrook Drive and Southbridge Street, said his wife woke up to find that the neighbourhood was crawling with officers.

“She said she saw cops all over,” Gabriel said. “I came out and saw them. There was a couple cops walking around with flashlights.”

Gabriel said the occurrence was unsettling — but he’s confident it was an anomaly.

“I can’t say it’s not scary, but it’s not like it happens every day,” he reasoned. “It sucks and everything, but they’re a good police force.”

“It’s a pretty safe area. We can’t complain.”

OPP said acting detective Insp. Randy Wright of the criminal investigation branch is now directing the case.

Anyone with information about what happened is encouraged to call police at 1-888-310-1122.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

With files by Dalson Chen

twilhelm@postmedia.com

Leamington OPP officers investigates following a machete attack in Leamington on April 16, 2017.

Leamington OPP officers investigates following a machete attack in Leamington on April 16, 2017.

Leamington OPP officers investigates following a machete attack in Leamington on April 16, 2017.

Yellow crime tape cordons off a large portion of the street as OPP officers work at the scene of an assault on Plumbrook Drive south of Oak Street East in Leamington, Sunday, April 16, 2017.

Evidence markers line the street as OPP officers work at the scene of an assault on Plumbrook Drive south of Oak Street East in Leamington, Sunday, April 16, 2017.

Windsor police say they caught a burglary suspect crawling through a window Tuesday after an alert citizen noticed the man walk into a neighbour’s back yard.

Officers responded to a call around 12 p.m. Tuesday about a “suspicious” man in the 800 block of Homedale Boulevard.

A citizen saw the man, who was carrying a backpack and riding a bicycle, go into the back yard of a neighbour’s house.

Officers arrived at the house and found the man crawling through a basement window. They arrested him. Police said the bike he was riding was stolen, and he was carrying break and enter tools. Officers also seized a laptop and other electronics they found in the man’s backpack.

William Darrow, 38, from Windsor, is charged with break and enter, possession of break and enter tools and possession of stolen property.

Anyone with more information can call Windsor police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4350 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS). You can also leave tips online at catchcrooks.com.

Residents of a Windsor neighbourhood were dismayed Thursday morning to discover their street strewn with bizarre flyers threatening to kill singer-songwriter Jackson Browne.

The iconic folk-rock artist — who is set to perform at Caesars Windsor on Thursday night — is specifically pictured and targeted in the obscenity-filled notice.

“Shoot a socialist,” the flyer urges over a photo of Browne. “Bam! Right between the eyes!”

The flyer mentions Browne’s concert at Caesars Windsor, refers to him as a “f****t lover,” “race traitor,” and “socialist trash,” and promises to “shut this f****rs mouth” permanently.

Windsor community member Joe McParland discovered about two dozen of the flyers while returning home from walking his dog.

“At first, I didn’t know what was on these things,” McParland said. “I thought it might have been for a lost dog or a garage sale.”

McParland said some of the flyers were around the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Shepherd Street West, and more were in front yards in the 1500 block of Victoria Avenue.

“This is scary stuff,” said McParland, who happens to be a fan of Jackson Browne.

“Whoever is doing this is a nutcase, obviously. But nutcases are the ones who are scary. They’re the ones who might go off the lunatic edge.”

Windsor police are investigating the notices.

A flyer found in a Windsor neighbourhood on the morning of April 20, 2017. The flyer threatens U.S. singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, scheduled to perform at Caesars Windsor.

Caesars Windsor spokeswoman Jhoan Baluyot said Caesars Windsor was made aware of the flyers on Wednesday night.

“Of course, the safety of our guests and artists is of great concern to us at all times,” Baluyot said. “We take it very seriously. With this knowledge, our security team is working closely with Windsor police.”

Baluyot said Jackson Browne has also been made aware of the flyers, and the concert will go on as scheduled.

McParland — who plans on attending Thursday night’s show — wondered why Jackson Browne would be the target of such violent hatred. “He was just inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

McParland noted that Browne’s most recent studio album, released in 2014, has “thought-provoking, socially-conscious” lyrics.

“He’s talking about the disparity between rich and poor. He’s talking about some environmental concerns,” McParland said.

“He does have … a more liberal social consciousness about him.”

McParland said it disgusts him to think that the death threat might be politically motivated. “Whoever did this, you can see — ‘Canadians’ is spelled wrong, ‘exercise’ is spelled wrong. We don’t have ‘second amendment’ gun rights.”

“There are going to be crackpots everywhere. But this, to me, crossed the line.”

dchen@postmedia.com