Planning on time away from your house this holiday season? You might want to know that a pristine driveway full of snow is very inviting to break-in criminals.

LaSalle police are reminding the public that the town had a spike in residential break-and-enter incidents during this time last year.

According to Const. Jamie Nestor, officers have learned through conversations with repeat offenders that break-in culprits drive around neighbourhoods a couple days after a snowfall specifically looking for uncleared driveways.

When the criminals see a lack of tire tracks and shoe prints in the snow, they knock on the door to check, and if there’s no answer — they go in.

“It’s that simple,” Nestor wrote in a Facebook post.

Nestor said he tried the method himself last month, finding residences with snow-covered driveways and other obvious signs that no one was home.

“If you’re going out of town, tell a family member, friend, or trusted neighbour to do one small favour for you,” Nestor wrote. “Have them drive up and down your driveway a few times after a snowfall and perhaps walk up to the front door to check for mail or papers.”

“A couple of minutes can prevent a lot of misery.”

Const. Jamie Nestor of LaSalle police took this photo of a home with uncollected mail and a newspaper – dead giveaways that the residents were away.

Windsor police are looking for a pair of robbers who allegedly kidnapped a man, forced him into a taxi, robbed him and locked him in two different bathrooms before suddenly disappearing.

Investigators said the victim was lucky to escape with only minor injuries.

“Any time there’s a robbery with any type of violence involved, it can quickly escalate into something more serious,” said Sgt. Matthew D’Asti. “This victim had minor injuries, but there’s always a potential for these situations to turn more violent.”

Police received an emergency call from a convenience store in the 2700 block of Howard Avenue around 12:15 a.m. Thursday. Responding officers were met by a 54-year-old man who said he’d been robbed at a nearby hotel.

The victim had gone to a friend’s house in the 2600 block of Richmond Street Wednesday night. When he arrived, there were two men and a woman in the house along with his friend.

The men took his wallet and forced him into a bathroom. They took the cash and debit card out of the wallet, then demanded the PIN number. The victim gave up the information out of fear.

One of the robbers then left the house. He returned a short time later. The two men and the woman called a taxi and told the victim he was taking a ride with them.

The cab took them to a motel in the 2800 block of Howard Avenue. Once inside a room, the robbers once again forced their victim into the bathroom. While he was locked in the bathroom, voices continued for a while in the motel room.

When things went quiet, he peeked his head out of the bathroom. No one was there so he ran to the convenience store and called police.

After hearing the victim’s story, officers went to the motel and found a 30-year-old woman. She had the victim’s cellphone. Police arrested the woman and charged her with robbery, forcible confinement and possession of stolen property.

Police are still looking for the two men. Investigators know who they are. In addition to getting arrest warrants, police are also in the process of gathering search warrants and video from ATMs and other sources.

One of the men police are looking for is white, about six feet tall, 175 pounds with a medium build and 30 years old. He was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt with some kind of design on it. The man had short brown hair and a tattoo with slanted writing on the right side of his neck.

The other robber was white, about 5’6” with a medium to stocky build and 29 years old. He had buzz cut hair with a large scar on the top and back of his head. He was also wearing jeans and a white T-shirt with a design on it.

Anyone with information can call Windsor Police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4305 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS). You can also leave tips online at www.catchcrooks.com or on the Windsor police Facebook page.

A 31-year-old man is nursing an injured left arm after his alleged prowler activities put him on the bad side of a Windsor police dog.

The incident happened late last Friday. Police were called around 11 p.m. about a break-and-enter in progress.

The suspect was allegedly seen trying to break into a pickup truck in a parking lot in the 1000 block of Wyandotte Street West.

An officer with the canine unit attended the area. She and her dog noticed a man casually walking away from a truck with a smashed-open window.

The man allegedly tried to fool the officer by walking to the rear door of a nearby residence and calling for someone to open the door as if he lived there.

When the officer and her dog approached, the suspect took off running across the street — heading for Leopard’s Lounge & Broil. He ran into the strip club’s east door, and exited via the west door.

The officer and her dog followed the trail through the strip club, helped by information from patrons.

As more officers filled the area, a resident in the 500 block of Wellington Avenue told police someone had just tried to get into her place via the back door.

More information came that the suspect had stolen a bicycle in the 500 block of Cameron Avenue and was pedalling north.

The female officer from the canine unit was in an alley by Cameron Avenue when she saw the suspect on the bicycle.

When the suspect ignored commands to stop, the police dog was unleashed.

The dog bit the suspect’s left forearm and didn’t let go — despite the man’s continued efforts to pedal away.

Officers caught up and arrested the suspect. There were items from the pickup truck on his person.

Despite a puncture wound on his forearm, the suspect declined treatment.

Jonathan Edwards, 31, faces two counts of possession of stolen property, one count of mischief and two counts of failing to comply with court conditions.

The award-winning Windsor Police Service K-9 unit is shown in 2013.

A 13-year-old Windsor male is facing criminal charges after he allegedly attacked his mother with a pair of scissors and a toilet plunger.

The incident happened in a residence in the Ford City area during the early morning hours of Saturday, Dec. 6.

Officers arrived at the home around 5 a.m. to find the dispute still in progress.

The 13-year-old male allegedly became aggressive with his mother during an argument.

As other family members tried to intervene, the teenager allegedly punched his mother, pulled her hair, stabbed in her in the wrist with a pair of scissors, and clubbed her with a toilet plunger.

The mother was treated for a minor puncture wound on her right wrist and a sore face.

The 13-year-old accused was taken into custody — where he remains, as of Monday morning.

The teen has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of breaching court conditions

Windsor police have laid charges against two suspects and seek a third in connection with a shambolic robbery and confinement case last week.

Sydney Gelinas, a 30-year-old female, has been charged with robbery, forcible confinement and uttering threats.

Robert Graham, a 34-year-old male who was arrested last Friday, faces charges of robbery, forcible confinement and possession of stolen property.

A third suspect — a male who is known to police — remains outstanding, as of noon Monday.

The incident took place late Dec. 3. The 54-year-old male victim called police from a convenience store in the 2700 block of Howard Avenue, saying he had just been robbed.

According to the victim, he’d been visiting a friend in the 2600 block of Richmond Street earlier that night when he was confronted by two men and a woman. They allegedly forced him into the bathroom of the residence, and took his wallet and bank card.

Under threat of violence, the victim was taken via taxi to a motel in the 2800 block of Howard Avenue. He was allegedly forced into the bathroom, again.

When left unattended, he fled the motel on foot and contacted police.

Gelinas was arrested at the motel. Police said a cellphone belonging to the victim was found on her person.

Graham was arrested the next day in the 2200 block of Wellesley Avenue.

A man walked into a Windsor emergency room with a badly bleeding hand on Saturday night as a result of an argument that became violent.

Police said an officer was at a hospital on contract duty when the victim arrived.

According to the victim, he had just received the wound in his apartment at a commercial property in the 400 block of Glengarry Avenue.

The victim said he was having friends over earlier that night. Two other males he knew also arrived.

The victim said an argument arose between himself and the two males.

When he tried to get them to leave the apartment, one of the arguers pulled out a knife and swung it at the victim, stabbing the victim in the right hand.

Police said the wound will require surgery.

The alleged stabber — a 19-year-old male — was located by police on Sunday evening. He’s being charged with aggravated assault.

Windsor police are asking for tips about a man and a woman who were in a white car involved in a hit-and-run incident last week.

The collision happened around 6:15 a.m. on Dec. 3 at the intersection of Dufferin Place and Elliott Street East.

The victim — a female driver — had stopped at the stop sign on Dufferin Place when a white car making a wide turn struck her left front bumper.

Both the victim and the male driver of the white car got out to look at the damage.

The male driver pretended to call police, then got back into his vehicle and abruptly drove off.

The move was so sudden that the white car’s driver side door was still open.

As the car passed the victim, the open door hit her, knocking her to the ground.

The victim suffered a scraped knee and some bruising. She didn’t have time to find out the vehicle’s make, model or plate number.

The driver is described as a well-dressed short black male, perhaps five-foot-four, between the ages of 20 and 25, with short black hair.

There was a passenger in his car — a young white female, between the ages of 20 and 25, with black hair. She was wearing a long puffy coat at the time of the incident.

The car is only described as a small, white, newer model vehicle. It should have some damage to its left front bumper.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the traffic branch at 519-255-6700 ext. 4211. Anonymous tips can be submitted via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.

Windsor police have arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with a weekend incident where Molotov cocktails were thrown at a house on Pierre Avenue.

Police said the suspect was apprehended on Monday. Detectives identified him after reviewing surveillance video recordings from the area where the crime took place.

Police believe a second person was also involved.

The 30-year-old male suspect has been charged with one count of possessing incendiary material for arson, and two counts of committing “mischief to property” in a way that endangers life.

Anyone with more information about this incident is encouraged to contact officers at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.

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

Officers were called to the 1200 block of Pierre Avenue around 12:45 a.m. on Saturday in response to someone throwing four “Molotov cocktails” at a home.

The incendiary devices consisted of bottles filled with an accelerant. The bottles did not break against the house and damage to the property was minor.

Police said their investigation has determined that this was an isolated incident between people who know each other.

It was not related to other firebomb incidents that recently took place in south Windsor.

More to come.

A standoff in Windsor’s west end on Tuesday night resulted in police seizing a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and ammunition.

Responding to call about a possible firearm, members of the Windsor police tactical team — also known as the Emergency Services Unit — went to a residence in the 1000 block of Campbell Avenue around 7 p.m.

According to a tip from the public, there was a male at the address with a gun.

Police secured the area, created a perimeter around the residence, and began trying to contact the person inside.

After numerous attempts at communication, officers made contact with the man around 9 p.m.

Police then entered and arrested the man. A search turned up the shotgun and 14 shells — all improperly stored.

The incident remains under investigation.

A 22-year-old male is recovering from a stab wound to his abdomen — and facing a charge of breaking and entering — after a violent incident in Windsor’s east end on Tuesday night.

Police believe the 22-year-old suspect was one of four males who allegedly kicked in the back door of a residence in the 2600 block of Meldrum Road around 9 p.m.

There were three occupants in the multi-unit residence at the time, all in the basement level.

Upon hearing the noise of the home being entered, one of the occupants — a 30-year-old male — grabbed a knife.

Two of the alleged intruders were reportedly coming down the stairs when they encountered the knife-wielding man.

A fight ensued, resulting in one of the break-in suspects being stabbed in the torso.

All four intruders fled the scene. About 10 minutes later, the 22-year-old male showed up at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Met Campus bleeding from his wound.

The suspect suffered a lacerated liver and required surgery, but his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

After investigating, officers arrested the suspect at the hospital. At press time, he remained there under observation.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old resident who brandished the knife was also arrested — and charged with assault with a weapon.

Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Matthew D’Asti said investigators don’t feel — based on the information gathered thus far — that the actions of the occupant meet the doctrine for self-defence.

“We look at these incidents on a case-by-case basis,” D’Asti said.

“At this stage, we don’t have evidence to indicate the intruder was threatening in a manner that justified him being stabbed by the occupant.”

D’Asti noted that everyone in the country is subject to the Criminal Code of Canada. People who act beyond the limits of self defence can be held criminally responsible.

According to the code, acts committed in the defence of person must be “reasonable in the circumstances.”

Several factors are involved in determining whether an act is reasonable, including “the nature and proportionality of the person’s response to the use or threat of force.”

Size, age, gender and physical capabilities of those involved are also to be considered.

Although Canada has laws for defence of property, the code does not have a so-called “castle doctrine” that grants a person specific protections or immunity for use of force in their home.

The investigation into the Meldrum Road incident continues. Police have been finding it difficult to obtain cooperation from both sides, D’Asti said.

“We have to uphold the law. That’s our mandate,” D’Asti added.

Anyone with more information about this incident is encouraged to contact detectives at 519-255-6700 ext. 4305.

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

dchen@windsorstar.com

A man whose address in east Windsor was recently firebombed is currently facing felony drug charges in the U.S.

Karandeep Dadiala — whose home at 7946 Casablanca St. was struck with “Molotov cocktail” incendiaries on Dec. 4 — is awaiting trial for allegedly trafficking more than five kilograms of marijuana.

According to the State’s Attorney office in DuPage County, Ill., Dadiala was arrested there over the summer.

Prosecutors allege that Dadiala, 35, was involved in a marijuana operation with at least six other people between September and November of 2013.

Charges against Dadiala include: cannabis trafficking (more than 5,000 grams), cannabis manufacture and/or delivery (more than 5,000 grams), and involvement in a calculated criminal cannabis conspiracy.

Dadiala was booked on July 25 of this year. He spent three months in the DuPage County Jail before his bond was sufficiently reduced so that his family could afford to bail him out. He’s been out of custody since Oct. 3.

Among the conditions of Dadiala’s release are that he wear a GPS device and that he surrender his passport — meaning that he cannot return to Canada until his trial is complete.

He’s currently residing in Illinois, and is due to make another court appearance in DuPage County in January.

Dadiala’s wife Rupinder — who lives at their Casablanca Street home with their three children — could not be reached for comment.

According to Dadiala’s social media accounts, he’s a friend of Harvinder Bal — a Windsor resident whose home at 4183 Spago Crescent was also firebombed on Nov. 29.

Members of the Windsor police arson unit are continuing to investigate the targeted fires at the two addresses. They have yet to release any conclusions, or comment on possible connections between the cases.

Earlier this month, Rupinder Dadiala told The Star that there have been other incidents at her home, including a confrontation with unknown people demanding money.

Bal also told The Star that someone burned out his family’s vehicle in an overnight incident prior to the Nov. 29 fire.

Both Dadiala and Bal were born in Punjab, India, and are members of the Sikh community.

Dadiala studied at Punjab Agricultural University.

dchen@windsorstar.com

Windsor police are looking for a man who tried to rob another man of his wallet in a parking lot on Thursday night.

Officers were called around 10 p.m. to the 1300 block of Grand Marais Road West.

The victim had parked his vehicle in the north end of a lot for a plaza that includes a BMO branch and a Tim Hortons location.

The victim told police he’d been walking through the lot when he was approached by a black male who looked in his 30s.

The robber demanded the victim’s wallet. The victim, 34, refused.

A brief struggle took place, with the robber striking the victim three or four times.

Despite the blows, the victim did not surrender his wallet.

The suspect then left the area in a black Chevy Cavalier. He was last seen driving west on Grand Marais Road West.

Paramedics later treated the victim at the scene for minor injuries.

The robber is described as a black male with a medium build, perhaps 30 to 35 years old. He has short dark hair. At the time of the crime, he was wearing a blue jacket and blue running shoes.

Anyone with more information about this incident is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4305.

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

The 31-year-old female victim at the center of a Windsor homicide investigation was seven months pregnant when she was killed, say police.

Staff Sgt. Mark Denonville of the Windsor Police Service major crime unit.

“On a personal stand point, this is one of the most disturbing crime scenes that I have seen in my 28 years of policing,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Denonville of the major crime unit.

Denonville said it’s not known at this time if the woman — who was found dead in a house on Benjamin Avenue on Thursday — knew the person or persons responsible for the crime.

She worked at a local parts supply company.

Police revealed the information in a terse statement at headquarters on Friday.

Denonville did not take questions from the media. He said the name of the victim is being withheld at the request of her family.

The victim’s body underwent a post-mortem examination at the London Health Sciences Centre on Friday, but no details have been released.

“Our number one priority is, and always has been, the safety of our community,” Denonville said.

“We are aware of the community’s concern and desire for information. However, we must also protect the integrity of the investigation.”

Police are continuing to appeal to the public for information about the case. Denonville urged anyone who knows something about what happened to contact detectives at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.

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

The duplex residence at 1564-1566 Benjamin Ave. on Dec. 11, 2014.

It’s been clarified that the victim was discovered by firefighters at 1564 Benjamin Ave. — the first-floor unit of a duplex.

The firefighters responded to flames at the address around 2:45 a.m. Thursday.

The fire was extinguished quickly. Property damage is estimated at $60,000.

Police said they don’t know yet if the fire was intentionally set.

The incident is Windsor’s third homicide case of 2014.

In July, 54-year-old Damian Hawley was charged with first-degree murder for allegedly hitting his elderly mother in the head with a hammer. Gertrude Hawley, 85, succumbed to her injuries in a London hospital on July 6.

In August, 24-year-old Deanna Anne Gamblin was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder for allegedly running over two male pedestrians on Pelissier Street.

One of the victims — a 31-year-old Windsor man — suffered head trauma and never regained consciousness. He succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Aug. 7.

The 1500 block of Benjamin Avenue has been disturbed by other violence this year. On July 1, 68-year-old Elizabeth Toulouse was struck by a stray bullet while she was watching television in her home at 1538 Benjamin Ave.

She later recovered in hospital.

More to come.

dchen@windsorstar.com

The owner of a Baskin-Robbins called police Sunday night to report he was using his cellphone to check surveillance cameras and was shocked to see his employees getting robbed at gunpoint.

Officers responded around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to a Baskin-Robbins at a plaza in the 3000 block of Dougall Avenue. The store owner called police after watching the robbery take place from home on his cellphone, which is connected to the building surveillance system. A store employee also called to report the robbery.

Windsor police said two men ran into the store, went behind the counter and demanded cash. One of the men wore a dark balaclava and had a crowbar. The second man wore a white hockey mask. He had a gun.

The pair escaped out the back door with a small amount of cash.

The man carrying the crowbar was white and in his early 20s with a thin build.  He wore a black balaclava, black baseball hat, grey hoodie, black pants with camouflage, white and black gloves and black satchel slung across his body.

The other robber was also white and in his early 20s with a thin build. He was wearing a white hockey mask, black leather jacket, burgundy hoodie, black baseball cap, beige pants, white runners and white gloves with black on palms. He was also carrying a black handgun.

Anyone with information can call Windsor police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4305 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS). You can also leave tips online at www.catchcrooks.com or on the Windsor police Facebook page.

Whoever was responsible for the violent death of Windsor resident Cassandra Kaake could face a murder charge — but not for Kaake’s unborn baby girl, who she was going to name Molly.

Cassandra Kaake of Windsor is shown in this undated Facebook image.

Investigators revealed last week that 31-year-old Kaake was seven months pregnant at the time she was killed. The cause of her death was blood loss due to severe trauma.

Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Matthew D’Asti said on Monday those facts will likely be aggravating factors in the trial of the person or persons accused of the crime.

But the Criminal Code of Canada does not contain so-called “fetal homicide laws” — laws that recognize an unborn child as a victim separate from the mother in cases of violent crime.

“We’re bound by the Criminal Code,” D’Asti said. “By definition, the child (in this case) has not yet become human, according to the Criminal Code.”

Section 223 of the code states that a child becomes a human being when “it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother.”

In the landmark case of Dobson vs Dobson, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a woman and her fetus are “physically one” under law.

Cassandra Kaake of Windsor is shown in this undated Facebook image.

“Fetal homicide laws” have long been subject to politically-charged debate due to their implications on abortion and women’s rights.

In the U.S., it’s possible to treat a fetus as a crime victim in the courts of 38 states.

As well, U.S. federal law contains the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which can be used to recognize a child in utero as a victim of a violent crime.

“It’s a very emotional thing,” D’Asti said. “We get that. But we are bound by the rules that are applicable in the Criminal Code of Canada.”

Dr. Greg Hasen, academic director of obstetrics for the Schulich School of Medicine, said a seven-month-old fetus is “fully developed.”

“Eyes are opening and closing, they’re drinking fluid, moving around,” Hasen said. “Their lungs aren’t fully mature, but the growth that occurs in the last two months of pregnancy is more in weight gain.”

Hasen said that according to the information from police, Kaake was about 30 weeks into her pregnancy at the time of her death, and the chances of survival for the fetus outside of her body would have been “excellent.”

“A baby born at that stage would probably be in hospital for a good five to seven weeks … but assuming no infectious diseases causing early delivery, most of those babies actually do extremely well,” Hasen said.

The duplex residence at 1564-1566 Benjamin Ave. where the body of Cassandra Kaake was found on Dec. 11, 2014. (Dax Melmer / The Windsor Star)

Meanwhile, detectives of the Windsor police major crime unit press on in their investigation.

Kaake’s body was discovered by firefighters responding to flames at 1564 Benjamin Ave. around 2:45 a.m. on Dec. 11.

An autopsy has concluded Kaake did not die from the fire. There is evidence a struggle took place, and police believe Kaake’s attacker or attackers may also have been wounded.

Cassandra Kaake is shown in this 2007 Facebook image.

Police have not released any suspect description. They do not know if Kaake knew her killer.

Kaake worked at Syncreon Windsor — a parts handling company on Pillette Road.

She grew up in LaSalle and attended Sandwich Secondary School in her youth.

D’Asti did not offer additional information on Monday.

Anyone who knows more about this crime is encouraged to contact investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.

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

dchen@windsorstar.com

The Windsor police major crime unit is hoping the public can help identify a car that may have a connection with the brutal murder of Cassandra Kaake.

According to police, a vehicle was seen in the area of Benjamin Avenue where Kaake’s body was discovered last week.

An example of a car being sought by Windsor police that may have a connection with the Dec. 11 homicide at 1564 Benjamin Ave.

The automobile in question is an older model full-size four-door luxury sedan. Police describe its appearance as similar to an Oldsmobile Delta 88 from the late 1970s or early 1980s.

The vehicle also resembles a first generation Ford Lincoln Town Car, or a 1980s Chrysler Fifth Avenue.

The car’s paint job is described as tan — like the colour of a work boot.

It has a vinyl or “landau”-style roof that’s dark blue or black.

An example of a car being sought by Windsor police that may have a connection with the Dec. 11 homicide at 1564 Benjamin Ave.

Anyone with information about a vehicle that fits this description is encouraged to contact detectives at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830, or e-mail their unit directly via wpsmajorcrime@police.windsor.on.ca.

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

The body of Kaake, 31, was found at 1564 Benjamin Ave. during the early morning hours of Dec. 11.

Firefighters came upon the crime scene around 2:45 a.m. when they responded to flames in the duplex’s first floor unit.

Kaake was seven months pregnant at the time she was killed. The cause of her death was blood loss due to severe trauma.

Police don’t know if Kaake knew her attacker or attackers. There’s evidence that those responsible for the crime may have also been wounded in the struggle.

Investigators have described the crime scene as among the most disturbing they’ve ever seen.

A thief had his own ideas about economic advancement when he broke into the offices of the region’s development commission last weekend.

The crime happened on the night of Dec. 14 at the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation‘s unit at 700 California Ave.

A security camera image of a thief who broke into the offices of the WEEDC on the night of Dec. 14, 2014.

Security cameras recorded a lone male as he prowled the WEEDC’s offices between 9 and 10:30 p.m.

Among the items he stole: electronic tablets, an e-reader, a digital camera and parking passes.

The next day, staff discovered the thefts and contacted police.

The rear door to the offices had been pried open.

Anyone with information about this incident or the man in these images is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4350.

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

A security camera image of a break-in at the offices of the WEEDC on the night of Dec. 14, 2014.

A security camera image of a break-in at the offices of the WEEDC on the night of Dec. 14, 2014.

An arson call that happened in the 800 block of Wyandotte Street East was the result of someone setting a backpack on fire in a washroom, say Windsor police.

The incident happened on Monday around 9:40 p.m.

Responding officers found the source of the trouble was a black and grey backpack that had been ignited in a common washroom.

The fire set off a smoke detector, alerting a resident who discovered the burning backpack and managed to extinguish the flames.

Police say a person was seen in the washroom before the fire.

He’s described as a white male, perhaps six-foot-two, with a muscular build.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing black pants and a green hooded jacket that extended to his knees.

Officers also recovered an item from the backpack: a new baseball cap promoting the CN Holiday Train.

The Holiday Train was in Windsor on Dec. 2.

Anyone with more information about this incident or the person of interest is encouraged to contact investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4330.

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

Windsor police have laid charges against two men in relation to the armed robbery of a Baskin-Robbins location last weekend.

Roberto William, 31, faces one count of robbery while armed with an offensive weapon.

Darren Pundyk, 26, has been charged with robbery while armed with an offensive weapon and breach of probation.

The crime happened just before 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the Baskin-Robbins in the plaza at 3090 Dougall Ave.

Security cameras were recording as two masked men entered the store, went behind the counter and demanded money from the staff.

One suspect was carrying a crowbar and wearing a dark balaclava. His accomplice appeared to be carrying a firearm and was wearing a white hockey mask.

The robbers fled after seizing a small quantity of cash. No one was hurt.

Police arrested the suspects on Monday — less than 24 hours after the crime occurred.

Windsorites unwittingly helped car thieves 50 times this year by leaving the keys in their vehicles.

Windsor police said 388 vehicles were stolen this year in the city. Of those, 50 were stolen after the owner left spare keys in them. Since October, there have been 17 vehicles stolen because the keys were left in them.

In some cases, the car keys were on the same ring as the house keys, which the crooks used to break into victims’ homes. Police said thieves also often use the stolen vehicles to commit other crimes.

Depending on your insurance policy, police said, leaving your keys in the vehicle might also void your coverage.