Vandals damaged an election billboard of Mayor Drew Dilkens on Dougall Avenue near the E.C. Row Expressway.

A black substance was splashed over the billboard which has been in place for less than two weeks.

“It’s significant vandalism,” Dilkens said Friday. “It $1,200 just for the cost of reprinting. It’s not like knocking over a $10 election sign.”

The mayor, who chairs the Windsor Police Services board, said he would be reporting the incident to police.

Dilkens said his campaign has three large billboards in the city, all of which will feature “enhanced security” in light of this incident.

He made a public plea Friday for everyone to respect the democratic process.

mcaton@postmedia.com

Mayor Drew Dilkens said police would be contacted after a billboard for his 2018 re-election campaign was vandalized recently. The billboard on Dougall Avenue near E.C. Row is shown on Friday.

Windsor Police Service’s mandate for public safety has never been in question — but a recent surge in calls for service has been testing the limits of the force’s resources, admits Chief Al Frederick.

“Our resources are absolutely being utilized at capacity, and then some,” Frederick said at Windsor police headquarters on Friday. “It’s something we all need to work together on.”

Frederick said the weekend of Sept. 15-16 alone had Windsor police responding to 587 calls for service — including 26 arrests, nine collisions with injuries, eight fights, four high-risk missing persons and 28 domestic incidents.

According to Frederick, there are “multi-hundreds of calls” to Windsor police every weekend — but close to 600 is definitely high, in his estimation.

“We were stretched, to be quite frank with you,” Frederick said.

Beyond the sheer number of calls, the nature of the incidents required significant commitment of personnel, he said.

Media were invited to headquarters to hear the chief describe how Windsor police have been reallocating officers to address “rising crime rates in the downtown area.”

Chief of Windsor police Al Frederick addresses media at WPS headquarters on Sept. 21, 2018.

Frederick pointed to the results of a downtown enforcement initiative earlier this week: Patrol officers made multiple arrests on the streets of the city’s core on Wednesday and Thursday, including five people who were wanted on outstanding warrants, two people who were found to be in breach of probation conditions concerning non-association, one person in relation to a disturbance, and two people in relation to a vehicle stop that led to drug charges.

The vehicle stop happened on Wednesday in the area of Wyandotte Street West and Pelissier Street. Windsor police had been following the vehicle because its plates were registered to a different car, and the occupants were showing behaviours “consistent with drug trafficking.”

The female driver was found to be the subject of an outstanding warrant. The male passenger was found to have suspected methamphetamine, fentanyl and hydromorphone — along with more than $17,000 in cash.

Further search of the vehicle uncovered quantities of methadone and marijuana, miscellaneous pills and drug paraphernalia.

Manuel Hernandez, 51, of Windsor, faces two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Brittney Michos, 30, of Windsor, has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and multiple driving-related offences.

Crystal meth was also at the root of an arrest that Windsor police made in the 300 block of Glengarry Avenue on Thursday. A man who was the subject of an outstanding warrant was found to be in possession of a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, as well as an airsoft pistol — a violation of his terms of probation.

Justin Kaczmarski, 35, of Windsor, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance and three counts of breach of probation, two of them related to firearms.

Frederick said “a very complex set of conditions” is responsible for the rise in calls from the downtown area.

“We are committing to law enforcement and public safety in our downtown core, as we are throughout the city,” Frederick said.

Downtown incidents resulting in criminal charges weren’t the only situations that Windsor police had to respond to this past week. Frederick noted that on Wednesday, patrol officers were called to the area of Wyandotte Street West and Langlois Avenue — near the Street Help Homeless Centre — about people “setting up tents and squatting on private property.”

The neighbourhood has been struggling with vagrancy issues over the past summer, including a man’s death in an alley on Aug. 24 that was suspected to be related to drug use.

Frederick said officers on found the lot “littered with garbage.” A large shelter had been illegally constructed out of tents and tarp.

The people who were trespassing were told to remove the structure and leave the property.

Frederick said further investigation found that a city-owned light standard had been damaged to gain access to electricity. “An electrical cord was running into the makeshift camp,” he said.

“This theft of hydro put the community at significant risk,” Frederick said.

Related

• Drug addiction and homelessness an 'epidemic' in Windsor
• Seven per cent increase in Windsor's Crime Severity Index, says Statistics Canada
• Death investigated in Windsor neighbourhood with homeless problem
• One man dead, female injured in 'targeted' downtown Windsor shooting

At the same time as these matters were being addressed, Windsor police have continued active investigations of major crimes — such as the Aug. 27 shooting death of a 20-year-old man in downtown Windsor, and the Sept. 8 fatal shooting of an 18-year-old male at 327 Hall Ave.

Two males are facing murder charges in relation to the Hall Avenue shooting. No arrests have been made on the Aug. 27 shooting.

“Public safety is about crime prevention and crime investigation,” Frederick said. “That’s the mandate.”

Anyone with information about Windsor crimes is encouraged to contact police at 519-255-6700 ext. 4000.

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

dchen@postmedia.com

A robbery suspect used what is believed to be a handgun or replica pistol to strike a store employee on Drouillard Road on Saturday morning, say Windsor police.

The crime happened at a store in the 1800 block of Drouillard Road shortly before 5:15 a.m. on Sept. 22.

Officers found the victim with minor injuries.

According to the employee, the suspect — a thin man with a covered face — entered and approached the employee behind the counter, then lashed out with the weapon and demanded money.

The robber took a quantity of cash and ran out of the store.

He is described as a male with a skinny build, about five-foot-eight, wearing a black hooded sweater, grey jogging pants, and a mask.

Anyone with information about this crime 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.

A 39-year-old Windsor woman is facing a list of charges after she allegedly fled from police twice in a stolen vehicle before her eventual arrest last Friday.

The incident began around 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 21 when Windsor police responded to a report of a break-and-enter crime in the 1600 block of Marentette Avenue.

According to a complainant, a man tried to get into an unattached garage building on a property, then left on foot when he was confronted about it.

Concerned citizens searched the area for the suspect, and found him sitting at a bus stop in the 700 block of Tecumseh Road East.

The citizens contacted police, and the male suspect co-operated.

However, a woman who had been sitting with the man at the bus stop walked past the citizens, got into a vehicle belonging to one of them — and drove off with it.

Patrol officers arrived at the bus stop just after the woman stole the vehicle.

Police said officers attempted to follow the woman as the stolen vehicle sped south on Howard Avenue, but the pursuit was quickly called off in the interest of public safety.

The 700 block of Tecumseh Road East is shown in this September 2017 Google Maps image.

A short time later, police received a complaint of a woman trying to steal a vehicle in the 2200 block of South Cameron Boulevard. The description of the suspect matched that of the woman who had been sitting at the bus stop.

Police said the suspect was not able to steal a second vehicle, but she fled the 2200 block of South Cameron Boulevard in the first stolen vehicle.

Patrol officers managed to stop the vehicle in the northbound lanes of South Cameron Boulevard.

According to police, the woman refused to exit the vehicle and resisted arrest. Officers broke two windows on the vehicle, but she again sped off, heading north on South Cameron Boulevard.

Windsor police again called off the pursuit in the interest of public safety.

A few minutes later, the stolen vehicle was located and contained to a parking lot in the 400 block of Tecumseh Road West.

Officers approached the vehicle. There was a brief struggle, resulting in the arrest of the female driver.

Jessica Bradley, 39, of Windsor, has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of failing to stop for police, two counts of resisting arrest, dangerous driving, and possession of stolen property (value exceeding $5,000).

The man who was arrested at the bus stop, a 37-year-old Windsor resident, has been charged with breaking and entering, and possession of break-in tools.

Anyone with further information about these individuals or this incident is encouraged to contact the property crimes unit at 519-255-6700 ext. 4350.

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

dchen@postmedia .com

Seeing a woman openly do drugs in broad daylight was the last straw for Windsor resident Dan Pipitone — who’s adding his voice to the chorus calling for action from the city.

“I’ve never seen it this bad. It’s out of control,” said Pipitone, 34, a married father of two.

Pipitone was confronted by the sight of the female drug user earlier this month in a parking lot across the street from his residence at Pierre Avenue and Erie Street East.

It was a Saturday evening. Documented by Pipitone in cellphone photos, a gaunt woman in ragged clothes sat cross-legged by a wall and began using paraphernalia to smoke a substance while in full public view.

“It was crack or methamphetamine or something. She was completely gone,” Pipitone recalled.

“I said, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ No response. Nothing. She did not have a care in the world. Except doing what she had to do.”

Pipitone said he and his wife had previously noticed the woman acting strangely. The drugs and lighter came out after Pipitone approached the woman.

“I said, ‘You need to get going. Get out of here. Leave.’ She walked maybe 10 steps, sat back down again.”

Pipitone said the woman finally shuffled off when he threatened to call police. “I asked her if she wanted help. She clearly didn’t want help.”

Windsor resident Dan Pipitone at Pierre Avenue and Erie Street East — near the parking lot where he saw a woman doing street drugs in broad daylight in September 2018.

It wasn’t the first time Pipitone and his family have had a bad experience in their neighbourhood.

Pipitone said his wife’s vehicle has been broken into twice over the past month, and his nine-year-old son found a syringe in an alley earlier in the summer.

There was also the night at the beginning of September when his wife was startled as she watered plants at the rear of their third-floor unit.

“Someone came rushing up the stairs,” Pipitone said. “Somebody in black, with an all-black hoodie on.”

“Those are fire escape stairs. That’s not public access at all.”

Pipitone said the stranger quickly fled when he saw someone was home, but Pipitone’s wife was still shaken by the encounter.

Now Pipitone is nervous for his teenage daughter and his elementary school age son. He’s considering moving again.

“We’ve been going through a lot of issues,” Pipitone said. “I want my kids to be able to enjoy being outside, and not be stuck in the house. It’s not fair to them.”

Although Pipitone has lived at his current address for only about a year, he said he grew up in the area. He brought his family back to the neighbourhood after about four years of living in Belle River, with a mind to becoming Windsor residents again.

But the neighbourhood is unrecognizable to him now. Pipitone said he’s shocked at what has become of the city, and he’s wondering what those who promise to represent citizens plan to do about Windsor’s “drug epidemic.”

“I feel unsafe. And I don’t feel like anybody is doing anything about it,” Pipitone said. “I’d like to see some change … I’d like to see an actual neighbourhood watch. Like we had back in the day. People who walk around and patrol their community.”

Related

• Drug addiction and homelessness an 'epidemic' in Windsor
• Jarvis: I feel under siege
• Students discover discarded syringe in schoolyard

Current Ward 4 Coun. Chris Holt, who is seeking re-election, said he doesn’t mean to diminish Pipitone’s complaint — but it’s unfortunately nothing new to him. “I get messages like that a couple times a day.”

“What we’re talking about is happening in every single neighbourhood in this city,” Holt said. “This is something that is occupying pretty much all of my time now.”

While Holt supports the idea of local solutions to resident concerns such as neighbourhood watch groups, he believes the community also needs to “move beyond that and start addressing the root causes of this epidemic.”

“People are doing this because they are sick. Normal people do not smoke methamphetamine in a parking lot in broad daylight. There’s a mental illness factor that we have to deal with, and that is something that needs additional resources from the City of Windsor.”

Holt said he supports a “multi-pronged approach” that includes greater municipal investment in outreach workers such as those with the Windsor police Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST).

Janice Campbell, the only person challenging Holt for the Ward 4 seat, said she’s sorry to hear of the Pipitone family’s experiences, and asked for them to reach out to her personally to “chat through some practical options for their consideration in terms of immediate improvement.”

“In the broader context, unfortunately and as you well know, the devastating negative effects and the many public manifestations of the opioid drug epidemic are upon us here in Windsor,” Campbell said.

“It’s disheartening and definitely not the kind of ‘welcome to Windsor’ that I would have wished for (the Pipitones).”

dchen@postmedia.com

A thief who broke into a business on Eugenie Street West earlier this month visited the place during the day, then came back later to commit the crime, say Windsor police.

Police have released a security camera image of a male suspect who investigators believe targeted a business in the 200 block of Eugenie Street West on Sept. 4.

Officers responded to a break-in at the address around 5 a.m.

Further investigation and review of surveillance video recordings revealed the suspect had been inside the business during daytime hours the previous day.

The suspect was later seen leaving the building with stolen property.

Anyone with information about the man in the image is encouraged to call the property crimes unit at 519-255-6700 ext. 4350.

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

The province’s Special Investigations Unit has ruled that a Windsor police officer was being lawful when he punched a 17-year-old high school student twice in the face — breaking the teenager’s nose — during an arrest last year.

In a decision published Tuesday, SIU director Tony Loparco found “no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any involved WPS officer in relation to the arrest of the student.”

SIU described the male student as “disorderly,” and said he refused to leave the school property, “despite being told to numerous times.”

The struggle during the arrest resulted in the student suffering what was later diagnosed as a “displaced nasal bone fracture.”

“The injuries sustained by the complainant occurred as a direct result of his own non-compliance with the commands of the subject officer,” Loparco wrote in his conclusion.

Loparco noted that along with the student being actively resistant, the boy’s mother — who was present during the incident — committed “a dangerous act” by trying to grab or knock a Taser from the hand of another officer.

“In this respect, both the complainant and (his mother) were the authors of their own misfortune, which resulted from the complainant’s refusal to leave the school when legally and properly directed to do so,” Loparco said.

Neither the officer, the student, his mother nor the school are named in the SIU’s report.

The logo of Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit. The SIU is an arm’s-length civilian agency tasked with investigating police when officers are involved in an incident resulting in death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

The incident happened on June 7, 2017. Windsor police were called to the school and attended the principal’s office around 8:30 a.m.

According to the report, the student was under a one-day suspension due to a “conduct issue.” The student and his mother had gone to the principal’s office to discuss lifting the suspension.

However, the principal was away at the time and wasn’t expected to return until the lunch hour. The vice-principal advised the student and his mother to come back later. Until then, the student would have to stay off the property.

The student’s mother agreed. The student did not.

A witness told investigators that the student “remained calm and indicated that he was not going anywhere.”

The student’s girlfriend also attended the office and tried to convince him to leave — with no success.

According to the vice-principal, there had been two prior instances where Windsor police were notified due to this particular student’s refusal to leave school property.

The report states that when police arrived at the office on June 7, the student responded to their attempts to communicate by shrugging his shoulders.

The arresting officer seemed further bothered by other students’ apparent lack of respect for the principal’s office: A different student walked into the office in the middle of the police interaction even though the door had been closed.

“Can you believe that? There is a sense of entitlement with the students in this building,” the officer reportedly told the vice-principal.

The officer told the suspended student: “That sets the tone on how I’m going to deal with you. Do you think you own the school?” — To which the student replied, “Yes.”

The student was informed that he was trespassing and that he would be arrested if he did not leave. He again refused.

“De-escalation attempts and commands by both the subject officer and witness officer were completely ineffective,” the report states.

When the officers began the arrest, the teen was initially willing and surrendered his right arm behind his back. But then his mother entered the office in a “very agitated state,” and he immediately became “actively resistant and aggressive.”

What followed was a “short, intense struggle” that lasted about two minutes and spilled into the nearby copy room.

At one point, the second officer tried to use his Taser on the student, but “the deployment was not successful.” This was further complicated by the mother pushing the officer’s arm with enough force to make the officer lose his balance.

The first officer then delivered “two closed hand strikes to the complainant’s face which were effective.”

“The (student) fell to the floor on his stomach and, finally, was compliant,” the report states.

“Although further attempts at de-escalation by the subject officer would have been preferable, there is no certainty that the complainant would have complied at a later stage with the directions of the subject officer and it was ultimately the decision of the complainant not to comply with the commands of the officer, which culminated in the use of force,” Loparco wrote.

dchen@postmedia.com

Windsor police have issued security camera images of the robber who used a handgun or replica pistol to strike a variety store employee on Drouillard Road last weekend.

The images show a slender person, about five-foot-eight in height, holding a weapon in the right hand.

Police believe the suspect is a white male.

The robbers face was entirely covered at the time of the crime. He also wore black gloves with a white line pattern.

He was clad in a black hooded sweater with a white logo on the front, baggy light-grey jogging pants, and white Puma brand shoes with a black stripe.

The incident happened on the morning of Sept. 22, shortly after 5 a.m., at a convenience store in the 1800 block of Drouillard Road.

The robber entered the business, approached the employee behind the counter, hit the employee with the gun or replica gun, and demanded cash.

The suspect left the store with a quantity of money.

The employee’s injuries were described as minor.

Anyone with information about this individual or this incident 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.

Related

• Drouillard Road variety store employee pistol-whipped in robbery

A close-up of the Puma brand shoes worn by the robber of a variety store in the 1800 block of Drouillard Road on Sept. 22, 2018.

A Windsor man is facing four charges related to child pornography as a result of a summer-long online investigation by police.

According to Windsor Police Service, the Internet Child Exploitation unit (ICE) started investigating possible local ties in the online sharing of child pornography in June.

The accused was identified by investigators over the course of the three-month investigation.

Police learned that the accused resides in the 1700 block of Jefferson Boulevard. A warrant was obtained to search the residence.

Officers executed the search warrant and arrested the suspect on Tuesday.

Harvey Ouellette, 54, has been charged with accessing child pornography, making child pornography available, and two counts of possessing child pornography.

Windsor police said investigators at this time do not believe any local children were victims in the alleged offences.

The investigation continues.

Anyone with information about crimes of this nature is encouraged to contact the ICE unit at 519-255-6700 ext. 4896.

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

A Windsor woman was the victim in a human trafficking case that involved her being forced to be a prostitute, repeatedly tortured with electric shock, and confined to a freezer multiple times, say Winnipeg police.

Winnipeg police said their counter exploitation unit began investigating the case on Aug. 6 after the woman managed to flee from her alleged captor and get to a police station.

The victim told police that she arrived in Winnipeg in mid-May with a man who had made her travel there under threat of violence.

Once she was in Winnipeg, she was forced to work as an escort.

The abusive behaviour allegedly continued through the summer, including “electric shocks and being forcibly confined in a freezer on numerous occasions,” said Winnipeg police.

According to police, the woman was admitted to hospital to recover from “severe assaults over an extended period of time.”

Based on information provided by the woman, police located a suspect in Winnipeg’s central neighbourhoods. Tactical officers moved to arrest the suspect on Sept. 2.

Andres Michael Pavao, 29, faces a long list of charges, including: trafficking in persons, procuring a person to provide sexual services, advertising sexual services, gaining material benefit from sexual services, aggravated assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of forcible confinement, two counts of attempting to choke or suffocate, and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

Pavao remained in custody at press time. The case will be tried in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Tammy Skrabek said investigators believe the alleged victim and the accused resided together in Windsor before they came to Winnipeg.

Asked where the accused is originally from, Skrabek said he has family members in Winnipeg, but does not appear to have long ties to the community.

The alleged victim has since been released from hospital and is now residing in “a safe place,” Skrabek said.

Although Skrabek said this particular case involving these individuals looks to be isolated, she also said Winnipeg police are aware of sex trafficking being a cross-Canada issue.

“You have people travelling from one city to another. For the most part, it’s to avoid being caught,” Skrabek said.

Related

• Police charge three men after dramatic east Windsor raid
• Windsor men arrested for allegedly impersonating police officers in break-in

On Dec. 1, 2015, Windsor police arrested three men — including one named Andres Pavao — in a dramatic raid upon a residence in Windsor’s East Riverside area.

Windsor police said an estimated $19,000 in illicit drugs were seized, including methamphetamine, crack cocaine, cocaine, oxycodone tablets, and marijuana.

At the time, Pavao was charged with six drug-related offences and two counts of breach of probation.

The drug charges were later dropped against Pavao and he was convicted on the breaches.

On Sept. 26, 2012, a Windsor man named Andres Pavao was arrested by OPP in relation to a break-and-enter incident in the Huron County area.

The suspects in the case allegedly impersonated police officers when they were interrupted breaking into a home in broad daylight.

At the time, Pavao was charged with breaking and entering, robbery, impersonating a peace officer, and weapons offences.

Less than half a day after Mayor Drew Dilkens held a news conference to announce there would be “zero tolerance” for crime in his city, Windsor police on Tuesday were investigating the latest brazen criminal act in the downtown, this one with a twist.

After the early morning discovery of two large air conditioners ripped from their rooftop perches and tossed into an alley three storeys below, Enwin crews called in to investigate made another discovery — a man on the rooftop from where the air conditioners had been taken.

With hands cuffed behind his back, the man was brought back to ground with the help of a Windsor Fire and Rescue aerial ladder crew. The 300 block of Ouellette Avenue was closed down briefly to traffic as the arrest mission was underway. The dishevelled and mumbling individual in filthy clothes did not go quietly into the awaiting prisoner van, shouting at the officers at one point that he was just having a snooze. The previous night was wet and cool.

Windsor police officers check out two large air conditioning units that were pushed off the roof of a building in the 300 block of Ouellette Avenue on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. A man was arrested on the roof of the building.

With electrical wiring and other A/C connections dangling from the roof above the alley, an Enwin utility crew — citing safety concerns — shut down the power to several of the businesses on the east side of Ouellette. The Electrical Safety Authority was also contacted to inspect the damage.

Showing up at the scene bye mid-morning and having the situation explained to her by officers and business neighbours, Tunnel Discount Convenience store owner Ljubica Cajan threw her arms up in frustration.

“I am speechless, I am hopeless — they say it’s the drugs people,” she said. Cajan was informed that it was her responsibility to hire an electrician and get the necessary repairs done before the power could be switched back on. She has business insurance but said she didn’t think it covered her rooftop air conditioner, smashed in the alley.

Cajan’s business is just doors away from several others that recently had the lines to their commercial air conditioners cut — requiring, in some cases, thousands of dollars in repair work.

Ljubica Cajan, right, owner of Tunnel Discount Convenience store in 300 block of Ouellette Avenue checks out damaged air conditioning units in the alley behind her business on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. A man was arrested on the roof of the building earlier.

The owners suspect drug addicts are trying to access the toxic Freon refrigerant in those lines in order for a cheap but dangerous high. But police said they’re also trying to access the copper in the A/C units and lines. The stolen pipes can then be sold as salvage to potentially feed their habits. Experts say opioid addiction is at a “crisis” level in Windsor.

“Not mine — not this time,” said Mandarin House restaurant owner Ming Shen. His previous bill, just to replace the syphoned-off Freon, was about $1,000. The repair bills this time for his neighbours will be much higher.

“Those addicts, they don’t think like you and I — they’ll do $25,000 damage to get $50 of copper,” Windsor police Sgt. Chris MacKenzie told a knot of business operators who had gathered around the crumpled A/C units in the alley.

“It’s unreal the things that these people do, they’ll stop at no length,” said MacKenzie.

“It’s worse than the cartels taking over — what’s going on here?” Cajan said of the downtown crime situation.

On Monday night, on the heels of the latest murder and a double stabbing in the downtown over the weekend, Dilkens announced nine new “zero tolerance” measures to combat what is seen as a dramatically increasing crime rate.

Included will be the hiring of 12 additional Windsor Police Services officers (two months after similar concerns prompted the approval of 12 other cops for a new unit initially focused on downtown crime). The mayor also announced on Monday the creation of an eight-officer downtown foot patrol.

Anyone with information, including where such stolen copper piping is being resold, is asked to contact Windsor police at 519-255-6700, ext. 4000, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.catchcrooks.com.

dschmidt@postmedia.com

twitter.com/schmidtcity

Windsor police officers lead a handcuffed man off a Windsor Fire and Rescue ladder truck after he was arrested on a commercial rooftop in the 300 block of Ouellette Avenue on the morning of Oct. 2, 2018.

Windsor police officers check out two large air conditioning units that were pushed off the roof of a building in the 300 block of Ouellette Avenue on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. A man was arrested on the roof of the building.

Ljubica Cajan owner of Tunnel Discount Convenience store in 300 block of Ouellette Avenue speaks to a Windsor police officer on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. A man was arrested on the roof of the building and two large commercial air conditioning units were found smashed after being pushed off the building.

A Windsor Fire and Rescue Services ladder truck crew had to be brought in to assist Windsor police with the rooftop arrest of a man in the 300 block of Ouellette Avenue on Tuesday.

A Windsor police officer carries a piece of copper he found in the 300 block of Ouellette Avenue on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. A man was arrested on the roof of the building after two large air conditioning units were pushed off the building.

When Cpl. Brandon James Liddy heard gunshots in downtown Windsor early Friday morning, the military trained soldier slipped into autopilot.

First, he took cover behind a wall outside the club where he’d been attending a networking event. Then, he looked out to see what was happening.

“The shooter was running away,” said Liddy, an imagery technician for the Canadian Armed Forces stationed in Gatineau, Que. He was home to celebrate family Thanksgiving in Tecumseh.

Liddy saw the victim walk to the side of the road, stumble and then collapse.

“Immediately, I went over to him — I knew something was really, really wrong.”

Windsor Police said Monday the victim, a man in his mid-20s, remained in critical condition in hospital after being shot multiple times near Ouellette Avenue and Maiden Lane around 1:45 a.m. Friday.

Liddy took off his suit coat and got down on his knees to introduce himself to the victim, who was still conscious. Liddy told the man he was with the Canadian Armed Forces and trained in first aid, and then asked if he could help. The man said yes.

“I went through the motions of doing first aid, feeling for wetness, the blood, and feeling for holes in his clothes for gunshot wounds.”

Liddy removed his belt and used it as a tourniquet after finding a gunshot wound in the man’s arm.

When he found two more wounds in the man’s chest, he ordered a bystander to take the shirt off his back to patch the holes. Another bystander held pressure on the wounds to stop the bleeding. Liddy performed first aid on the man until emergency personnel arrived to take over.

After doing it in practice over ten years being in the military, it was an automatic thing

“There was no actual hesitation,” said Liddy. While others were asking if the three bangs had come from a cap gun, he was running to help.

“After doing it in practice over ten years being in the military, it was an automatic thing,” he said. “I used the training that I’ve done so many times in a scenario in real life.”

Word of Liddy’s heroics spread quickly over social media after he published a tweet detailing the events of his first hour in Windsor. He included three pictures of small bloodstains on his pants, sleeve, and shoes. He’s been receiving messages of thanks from strangers on the internet ever since.

“Getting that back from people is touching,” he said, though he’s had to silence his phone a few times to combat the flood of notifications.

As a member of the 12-person unit called Combat Camera, responsible for Canadian Forces photos and videos of anything from ceremonies to warfare operations, Liddy said he is not used to having the spotlight on himself.

Liddy’s great grandfather, Col. Paul Poisson, the first mayor of Tecumseh, was a field surgeon in the First and Second World Wars. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 261 in Tecumseh is named after him.

“He’s always been an inspiration to me,” said Liddy, who has a military portrait of Poisson hanging above the piano in his home in Ottawa. Poisson’s officer’s sword and legion beret also hang with the portrait. Liddy said Poisson is the reason he joined the military.

“He was such an outstanding person,” he added. Poisson died before his great grandson was born. “I always question what I’m doing stacked up against what I think he would have done.”

Since Friday, Liddy has posted two videos to his Facebook page using the hashtag TakeBackWindsor to encourage others to help those in need.

“People should be standing up for their community,” he said, describing what he hopes people might take away from his actions. “The moment people stop doing that is when this sort of thing happens. People start coming in with drugs, crime, gun violence, stabbing. You need to push back to keep the darkness back.”

In one of his videos, Liddy said, “If you follow your moral compass and make sure it’s pointed in the right direction … nothing but positive things that can come of it.”

tcampbell@postmedia.com

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Cpl. Brandon James Liddy talks Monday, Oct. 8, 2018, about rushing to the aid of a downtown Windsor shooting victim early Friday morning.

Instincts took over for military-trained Cpl. Brandon James Liddy after gunshots rang out near nightclubs in downtown Windsor early last Friday morning and the Canadian Forces soldier witnessed a man collapse to the ground.

Lakeshore OPP are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who pumped up a stolen vehicle at a gas station in Comber, then drove off without paying.

The crime happened at a service centre on Industrial Drive on Oct. 3 around noon.

The suspect was a white male with a slim build. His clothing at the time included a dark Adidas brand T-shirt and matching baseball cap, grey track pants and white sneakers. He had a beard and a moustache.

The man was driving a silver-coloured four-door crossover SUV that officers later identified as a stolen vehicle.

Security camera images of the suspect and the vehicle have been released. Anyone who recognizes the man can call provincial police at 1-888-310-1122.

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

A Windsor man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly used a stolen credit card to make purchases at convenience stores and pharmacies.

The case began on Oct. 7 with a report of a theft from a vehicle that had been parked overnight in the 1200 block of Fairview Boulevard.

Among the items stolen from the vehicle was a credit card.

The credit card was then used at a number of businesses in Windsor.

Members of the financial crimes unit obtained surveillance videos from those businesses and observed a suspect making transactions.

Justin Kaczmarski, 35, of Windsor, was arrested on Oct. 12 in the 300 block of Wyandotte Street East after investigators reviewed security camera video.

Charges against Kaczmarski include theft (under $5,000), fraud (under $5,000), use of a credit card obtained by a criminal offence, possession of stolen property, breach of probation, and two counts of breach of recognizance.

Kaczmarski was also charged with possession of a controlled substance for approximately 215 grams of suspected marijuana that was found on his person at the time of his arrest.

Windsor police remind the community that valuables should not be left inside parked vehicles, and vehicles should be locked and secured when parked.

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Kaczmarski was previously arrested on Sept. 20. Windsor police found him in the 300 block of Glengarry Avenue in possession of suspected methamphetamine and an airsoft pistol.

The accused was already wanted by police at the time — He was the subject of an outstanding warrant. After his arrest on Sept. 20, he was additionally charged with possession of methamphetamine and three counts of breach of probation.

Less than three weeks elapsed between Kaczmarski’s arrest in September and his alleged theft offence in October.

It’s not clear why the accused was released by the courts in September, given his multiple charges of disregarding his conditions.

Anyone with further information about financial crimes such as credit card fraud is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4330.

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

Windsor police are looking for a robber who brandished a firearm at a Mac’s convenience store in the city’s west end on Wednesday morning.

The crime happened at the store at 3690 Matchette Road off Prince Road shortly before 8 a.m.

Security cameras recorded a male suspect enter the store and point a gun. His face was covered with a red bandanna.

The robber demanded money. After taking a quantity of cash, he fled.

No one was hurt.

Along with the bandanna, the robber concealed his identity with a dark hooded winter jacket and gloves with a skeletal print on them. He had light-coloured pants and brown boots.

Anyone with information about this incident 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.

The Mac’s convenience store at 3690 Matchette Rd. (off Prince Rd.) in Windsor’s west end is shown in this 2014 Google Maps image.

A local woman is facing drug and firearm charges after Windsor police stopped her with suspected fentanyl, crystal meth and a replica handgun.

The 33-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday night around 7 p.m. as a result of an investigation by the drugs and guns unit.

Windsor police officers including members of the tactical team (ESU) surrounded a vehicle that the accused had driven to a parking lot in the 1300 block of Wellington Avenue.

A search of the woman uncovered about 1.2 grams of suspected fentanyl and 0.2 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine.

A further search of the vehicle found the replica weapon and a digital scale.

Windsor police then attended the woman’s residence in the 1000 block of Hickory Road, but a search of the premises did not result in any other seizures.

Ashley Gregory has been charged with possession of suspected fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, possession of suspected crystal methamphetamine, possession of a firearm while prohibited, and four counts of operating a motor vehicle when disqualified.

Anyone with further information about this incident or individual is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4361.

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

dchen@postmedia.com

A man and a woman are facing charges after an auto theft case in which a stolen pickup truck was used to flee from police on two occasions — including one where the truck hit an unmarked police vehicle.

The truck was first reported stolen to Windsor police on Monday after a break-in at a residence in the 800 block of Smeeton Drive.

On Tuesday morning, around 10:45 a.m., officers of the property crimes unit spotted a truck matching the description in a parking lot in the 2700 block of Tecumseh Road East.

The officers maneuvered their unmarked vehicles to try to box in the truck — but the driver of the truck accelerated away, colliding with a front corner of one of the police vehicles and motoring over landscaping and shrubbery in the process.

In the interest of public safety, the officers at the scene decided not to pursue the stolen truck. However, they recognized the driver.

About four hours later, around 3 p.m., the officers found the truck again, now parked in the 800 block of Langlois Avenue. The suspect driver was seen running into a residence.

Before the officers could approach the residence, two females came out, got into the truck and left the scene.

Police then dealt with the situation using two teams: One to follow the truck, the other to contain the residence.

The pickup truck was located yet again in the 800 block of Goyeau Street.

Both of the female occupants were arrested, but only the driver was charged.

Meanwhile, at the standoff at the residence on Langlois Avenue, officers established communications with the man inside. Shortly after 6 p.m., he came out to be arrested.

Matthew Maskery, 33, of Windsor, faces charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified, and possession of stolen property (exceeding $5,000).

Amanda Labute, 30, of Windsor, has been charged with possession of stolen property (value exceeding $5,000).

Anyone with more information about these individuals or this case is encouraged to call 519-255-6700 ext. 4850.

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

dchen@postmedia.com

It took just a day, but the first Windsor police R.I.D.E. deployment since legalization of marijuana in Canada resulted in cannabis-related charges.

As part of their regular campaign to Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, officers set up traffic stops at two different locations in Windsor on Thursday night. Over the course of a couple of hours, more than 800 vehicles were stopped and inspected.

One adult male driver was charged with operating a motor vehicle while having cannabis readily available. He was issued a provincial offence notice involving a $215 fine.

“That’s under the Cannabis Act,” said Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Steve Betteridge, referring to a new federal law that came into effect Oct. 17. “A good way to think of it is similar to the rules for alcohol. If it’s within reach of the driver, it is readily available. If it’s open (container) — not in a sealed package — it’s readily available.”

Another adult male driver showed signs of suspected impairment by cannabis. Police said he performed poorly on the standard field sobriety test and drug recognition evaluation.

The driver was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle. He has been scheduled for a future court date.

Earlier this week, Windsor police released a video showing elements of the sobriety test and evaluation process — such as the horizontal gaze test, which requires the subject to follow an object with his or her eyes; the “walk and turn” test, which requires the subject to step along a narrow line; and the one-leg stand test, which requires the subject to balance on one foot while counting out loud.

Windsor police conduct traffic stops as part of a R.I.D.E. program on the night of Oct. 18, 2018.

Betteridge pointed out that impaired driving is not a new crime, and Windsor police have long been committed to enforcing against it, whether the impairment is by drugs or alcohol or any combination thereof.

“What is new is the legalization of cannabis,” Betteridge said. “Nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody knows if our impaired driving charges in the future will go up or not. We’re hoping not. But we are prepared to enforce the law and keep our roadways safe.”

During Thursday’s R.I.D.E. stops, another driver received a three-day licence suspension for having blood alcohol content exceeding 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres.

In all, the Windsor police traffic enforcement unit performed 38 enforcement actions during the R.I.D.E. deployment and later the same night.

Windsor police remind the community that cannabis legalization is “an adjustment for our entire country.”

Members of the public who observe a driver suspected of being impaired are encouraged to call 911 and be ready to provide relevant information, such as licence plate, vehicle make or model, and last direction of travel.

dchen@postmedia.com

Windsor police are offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the brutal shooting death of Jason Pantlitz-Solomon downtown this summer.

“We are hoping, with this reward, to create some conversation,” said Supt. Jason Crowley of the Windsor police major crimes branch after a police services board meeting on Thursday.

“We are looking for help from the community.”

The announcement of the reward comes with the release of more details about the homicide, which took place Aug. 27 around 2:40 a.m. at the intersection of Ouellette Avenue and University Avenue, just in front of the Pizza Pizza location.

According to police, the two gunmen ran at Jason Pantlitz-Solomon from the west side of Ouellette Avenue and fired multiple shots — striking the 20-year-old university student “several times.”

Also struck was the victim’s 19-year-old female companion, who suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to her leg.

Crowley said the two shooters wore the hoods of their sweaters over their heads and cinched tightly over their faces in order to conceal their identities.

A video recording obtained by police shows two figures running from the crime scene — one in a dark sweater, the other in a white or light-coloured sweater.

Crowley said witnesses described the two male suspects as possibly black or Hispanic, with one of them having darker skin than the other.

An image from a video recording showing the two suspects in the shooting death of Jason Pantlitz-Solomon around 2:40 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2018.

The shooters were last seen running to the west side of Ouellette Avenue and north toward Chatham Street.

Investigators believe the suspects then fled Windsor city limits in a white newer model Nissan Altima.

The day after the shooting, a vehicle matching that description was involved in an incident with police officers in the Peel Region.

The vehicle’s male driver abandoned the car and fled from Peel Regional police. He eluded the officers and his identity has not been confirmed.

A search of the vehicle uncovered a handgun. Investigators believe that weapon was one of the firearms used to kill Jason Pantlitz-Solomon.

“Once again, I will stress this was a targeted incident,” Crowley said on Thursday.

While Crowley said there is no reason to be alarmed for public safety currently, it’s clear the shooters at the time of the crime “had zero concern for anyone in the downtown core.”

Anyone with information about this case is urged 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.

“This was a young man in the prime of his life who was gunned down in the core of our city,” said Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Steve Betteridge. “Somebody knows something.”

Windsor homicide victim Jason Solomon in a 2017 photo taken by Selina McCallum for a student feature in The Lance, the University of Windsor’s student publication.

Crowley noted that the major crimes branch has been inundated with work this year — investigating eight homicides and one manslaughter case since the start of 2018.

Crowley pointed out that in seven of those eight homicide investigations, suspects have either been arrested, identified or made the subject of warrants.

The murder of Jason Pantlitz-Solomon is the only case of its kind this year in which police are still trying to identify suspects.

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According to published reports, the shooting victim’s identical twin brother Jerome Pantlitz-Solomon was arrested by OPP on Sept. 12 in a raid on a location in Wasaga Beach.

The raid involved Huronia West OPP’s street crime unit, tactical officers, and police dogs — as well as members of the province’s Repeat Offender and Parole Enforcement (ROPE) squad.

Also arrested was Jalen Pitt, 19, of Brampton.

OPP said a search by officers uncovered quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, a handgun, a Taser-like device, cash, and “paraphernalia associated with trafficking.”

Jerome Pantlitz-Solomon was charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, and failure to comply with recognizance.

Jalen Pitt was charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, carrying a concealed weapon, and unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm.

In subsequent court proceedings, Jerome Pantlitz-Solomon was denied bail. Justice of the Peace Ann Forfar noted that he already has a criminal record, including convictions on violent offences over the past four years.

At the time of his arrest, Jerome was on bail for an assault charge, and was the subject of an outstanding warrant.

“I do believe that if you were to be released, you would reoffend,” Forfar said in her ruling.

During the bail hearing, assistant Crown Attorney Julie Janiuk played the court YouTube videos of Jerome Pantlitz-Solomon rapping under the name J Solo.

His lyrics make numerous references to gang violence, guns, and Acorn Place — a troubled public housing complex in Mississauga. “He glamorizes the criminal lifestyle,” Janiuk argued.

In Windsor on Thursday, Supt. Crowley declined to comment if the murder of Jason Pantlitz-Solomon has any connection with his twin brother Jerome Pantlitz-Solomon or possible gang activity in the Peel Region.

Crowley deferred questions on that subject to Peel Regional Police.

“It’s a very dynamic and active investigation,” Crowley said. “That’s a Peel Region investigation. We are working with the Peel Regional police. Right now, that’s all I can say about that.”

“Again, we strongly believe this (homicide) was targeted. To say that it’s gang-related? I can’t say that.”

—with files from the Toronto Sun

Windsor police forensics officers study the intersection of University Avenue and Ouellette Avenue for evidence after a shooting during the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2018.

Windsor police forensics officers examine the intersection of Ouellette Avenue and University Avenue where a shooting occurred during the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2018.

Ontario is developing a strategy to fight gun violence and gang activity — and Windsor could be helped by it, says Mayor Drew Dilkens.

Dilkens said he recently had a positive phone conversation with Michael Tibollo, the province’s new Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

The mayor said he reached out to Tibollo “to try and have a discussion with him about some of the issues we see happening on the streets of Windsor.”

“I’m as concerned as anybody else. We see the number of incidents of violent crime and homicide in the city … and we know the nature of (these incidents) is often related to drugs, to gangs, and obviously guns,” Dilkens said.

In August, Premier Doug Ford announced $25 million in new funding for measures against gangs and guns in the Toronto area.

Dilkens said he anticipates more Toronto-oriented initiatives are in the works, but he believes Tibollo appreciates Windsor’s distinct needs as a border city.

“The minister is someone who is familiar with Windsor. He attended the University of Windsor law school for three years back in the 1980s. He knows the community.”

From his talk with Tibollo, Dilkens said he is hopeful the crime solutions that are coming for Toronto will benefit Windsor as well.

“(Tibollo) didn’t have a lot of details. I know they’re working on it,” Dilkens said.

Earlier this year, the Windsor Police Services Board approved the hiring of 24 additional officers and the launching of a downtown foot patrol initiative.

This week, Windsor police representatives met with the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association — who were reportedly greatly pleased with the strengthened WPS efforts in the core.

dchen@postmedia.com