Chatham woman connected to fraud
A 46-year-old Chatham woman has been arrested almost two years after she allegedly altered a cheque and deposited the money into her own bank account.
Police said back on November 23, 2016, a woman changed a $9,525 cheque that was issued by the Newfoundland / Labrador Department of Finance to a Toronto business and deposited it for herself.
Officers said they were able to identify the person who altered the cheque and arrested her Thursday night.
The accused was charged with uttering a forged document and fraud and was released from custody with conditions and a future court date.
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Drunk driver asleep at the wheel
A 54-year-old Chatham man had an unexpected wake-up call Thursday evening from a local police officer.
Chatham-Kent police said they caught up with him just after 5:30 p.m. Thursday after getting a call about a man who was sleeping behind the wheel of a running vehicle in a parking lot in Chatham.
Police said the man allegedly failed a roadside breath test and was later charged with impaired driving after he was taken back to police headquarters for further testing.
Officers said the man was released from custody after he sobered up.
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Woman charged after yelling, smashing window
A 25-year-old woman is in more trouble with the law now after making an unlawful visit to a Chatham residence.
Chatham-Kent police said last December, the woman was ordered to stop communicating with a specific Chatham man, but she allegedly showed up at his house Thursday morning and started yelling at everyone who was inside.
Investigators said the woman also damaged a window at the home when she was asked to leave. Police said they picked her up a short distance away while she was riding on her bicycle.
A 25-year-old Chatham woman is now charged with breaching her probation and mischief. She was taken into custody and later released with conditions and a future court date.
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Shoplifting at Walmart in Chatham
An alert security guard was able to catch a shoplifting suspect red-handed in Chatham, according to Chatham-Kent police.
Officers said a loss prevention officer stopped a 38-year-old man who was allegedly trying to leave the Walmart in Chatham Thursday night with a necklace, two shirts, and a phone charger that he hadn't paid for.
Police said the items, which have a combined value of about $108, were stuffed into the man's hooded sweatshirt.
A 38-year-old Chatham man was arrested outside the store and charged with theft and possession of stolen property.
Officers said all of the stolen property was recovered.
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Police searching for break-in suspect
Chatham-Kent police are appealing to the public for tips as they try to track down a man who is accused of breaking into a freezer in someone's garage in Chatham.
Officers said the man allegedly broke into the unlocked garage at a home on Bristol Drive at around 6 a.m. and took some frozen food out of it. Police said the homeowner confronted the man as he was leaving, adding that the suspect dropped the food and took off running.
Police searched the area, but that search came up empty.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Fraser Leontowicz at fraserl@chatham-kent.ca or 519-436-6600 extension #87148.
Anonymous callers may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and may be eligible for a cash reward.
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They didn't run out of gas
Chatham-Kent police are reminding drivers to be on the lookout for scammers at the side of the road who claim they need some cash to fill up their gas tanks.
Police said so far, there have been at least 18 documented cases in the municipality where people have been approached by suspicious strangers who are believed to be of Eastern European descent.
Officers said in most cases, the suspects claim their vehicles have run out of gas and they try to sell the would-be victims gold-plated jewelry for cash. In some other similar cases, the suspects have used distraction techniques to steal jewelry or cash.
Police are issuing the warning in the hopes that no one else will fall prey to the scam, which aims to take advantage of people's generosity.
If you encounter a situation similar to any of those listed above, you should call police immediately and provide them with physical descriptions of the suspects and the vehicles they are driving, including their licence plates.