Crime

A fire, set in diapers in the Nanaimo Walmart, closed the store for five days in February and caused tens of thousands of merchandise items, including food, to be tossed in the garbage, according to a statement from Walmart Canada. (News Bulletin file photo)

Walmart reports ‘tens of thousands of items’ destroyed after Nanaimo diaper fire

Food spoiled, baby essentials ruined in ‘dangerous and shameful’ arson incident last month

A fire, set in diapers in the Nanaimo Walmart, closed the store for five days in February and caused tens of thousands of merchandise items, including food, to be tossed in the garbage, according to a statement from Walmart Canada. (News Bulletin file photo)
TEASER

New movie poster-style ads aim to ‘flip the script’ on gangsters in Metro Vancouver

Launched in Surrey, Crime Stoppers campaign wants partners of criminals to tell them info

TEASER
Police say a man has been charged in the murder of Richard “Blair” Young, whose body was found near the summit of the Malahat in March 2017 (Submitted/VicPD)

B.C. man charged in cold case murder after senior killed, $30K in savings spent

Senior’s body was found on the Malahat in 2017

Police say a man has been charged in the murder of Richard “Blair” Young, whose body was found near the summit of the Malahat in March 2017 (Submitted/VicPD)
The family of Julian Jones, who was shot and killed by a Tofino RCMP officer in February 2021, speak at a gathering on the International Day Against Police Brutality on March 15, 2022. (Jane Skrypnek/Black Press Media)

B.C. exhibit honours Indigenous and Black lives lost to police violence

March 15 marks the International Day Against Police Brutality

The family of Julian Jones, who was shot and killed by a Tofino RCMP officer in February 2021, speak at a gathering on the International Day Against Police Brutality on March 15, 2022. (Jane Skrypnek/Black Press Media)
Jeff Callaghan, founder of Van Isle Clean Team, was one of three men shot at when they tried to recover allegedly stolen items from an homeless camp near the Millstone River on Sunday, March 12. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

‘Sad statement’: community advocates speak out after businessman shot in Nanaimo

One man in hospital with gunshot wound after trying to recover stolen items from homeless camp

Jeff Callaghan, founder of Van Isle Clean Team, was one of three men shot at when they tried to recover allegedly stolen items from an homeless camp near the Millstone River on Sunday, March 12. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Steeve Gagnon is escorted by police out of court in Amqui, Que., Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Gagnon is facing charges relating to an incident where a driver of a pickup truck drove into pedestrians, killing two people and injuring nine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Vehicular attacks hard to prevent, but some urban design measures can help: expert

Two people died and nine others were injured in the Quebec town of Amqui on Monday

Steeve Gagnon is escorted by police out of court in Amqui, Que., Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Gagnon is facing charges relating to an incident where a driver of a pickup truck drove into pedestrians, killing two people and injuring nine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Officers seized a gun Monday (March 13) from a man who was in the waiting room at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. (Abbotsford Police Department photo)

Man charged for having gun on him at Abbotsford Regional Hospital

Citizen alerted security after seeing the man drop ammunition on the floor

Officers seized a gun Monday (March 13) from a man who was in the waiting room at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. (Abbotsford Police Department photo)
This is a file photo of wild horses on Highway 97 near Red Wings. (Western News file photo)

‘Disheartening act’: 17 wild horses found shot in area west of Kamloops

The animals were all recently shot; RCMP are investigating

This is a file photo of wild horses on Highway 97 near Red Wings. (Western News file photo)
A man has been charged in relation to an incident on Friday (March 10) at the combined Wendy’s and Tim Hortons at the Fraser Valley Auto Mall. (Google Street View)

Man charged with yelling racial slurs and threatening Abbotsford restaurant customers

Jacob Froese, 21, faces 7 charges, including incitement of hatred, for incident on March 10

A man has been charged in relation to an incident on Friday (March 10) at the combined Wendy’s and Tim Hortons at the Fraser Valley Auto Mall. (Google Street View)
RCMP arrested a 24-year-old woman from Victoria on March 2 after a search was executed in a home on Cowichan Tribes’ land. (RCMP photo)

Victoria woman arrested on drug charges after search of Cowichan home

Arrest occured in home on Cowichan Tribes’ land

RCMP arrested a 24-year-old woman from Victoria on March 2 after a search was executed in a home on Cowichan Tribes’ land. (RCMP photo)
Mohammed Ramzan, second right, right, outside Preston Crown Court, Lancashire, England, Tuesday March 14, 2023. A 22-year-old woman has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after falsely claiming to have been the victim of an Asian grooming gang. Eleanor Williams, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday after making a series of false rape allegations. Mohammed Ramzan, a business owner who Williams alleged trafficked her, told the court: “I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in.” (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Fake sex abuse claims get British woman 8.5 year prison term

A woman who falsely claimed she was drugged, raped and forced to…

Mohammed Ramzan, second right, right, outside Preston Crown Court, Lancashire, England, Tuesday March 14, 2023. A 22-year-old woman has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after falsely claiming to have been the victim of an Asian grooming gang. Eleanor Williams, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday after making a series of false rape allegations. Mohammed Ramzan, a business owner who Williams alleged trafficked her, told the court: “I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in.” (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Nanaimo Fire Rescue and Nanaimo RCMP at the scene of a shooting following an incident of vigilantism at a homeless encampment Sunday, March 12. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo mayor says city ‘in a dangerous place’ after vigilantism and shooting

Statement follows altercation at homeless camp that sent man to hospital with serious gunshot wound

Nanaimo Fire Rescue and Nanaimo RCMP at the scene of a shooting following an incident of vigilantism at a homeless encampment Sunday, March 12. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)
B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced the $25 million program to target repeat violent offenders in Langley on Tuesday, March 14. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)

Teams of cops, prosecutors, to target repeat violent offenders in B.C.: Farnworth

A $25 million three-year program starts in April

B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced the $25 million program to target repeat violent offenders in Langley on Tuesday, March 14. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
What Attorney-General Niki Sharma has called ‘targeted changes’ could make it easier for courts to deny bail to repeat violent offenders by spring 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Ottawa could toughen bail laws as early as spring: B.C. attorney general

Changes would target repeat violent offenders among other measures

What Attorney-General Niki Sharma has called ‘targeted changes’ could make it easier for courts to deny bail to repeat violent offenders by spring 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Dale Culver was 35 years old and had a newborn daughter in July 2017, when he died after being pepper-sprayed and arrested by Prince George Mounties. Two of those officers are now charged with manslaughter, while another three are charged with obstruction of justice. (Photo courtesy of British Columbia Civil Liberties Association )

Family calls for change ahead of trial for B.C. cops accused of killing Indigenous man

Dale Culver died in Prince George in 2017 after police pepper-sprayed and arrested him

Dale Culver was 35 years old and had a newborn daughter in July 2017, when he died after being pepper-sprayed and arrested by Prince George Mounties. Two of those officers are now charged with manslaughter, while another three are charged with obstruction of justice. (Photo courtesy of British Columbia Civil Liberties Association )
RCMP vehicles in the parking lot of the former White Spot restaurant along Terminal Avenue following a shooting Sunday, March 12. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)

Man shot while trying to get back stolen items from Nanaimo homeless encampment

Victim suffers serious injuries, two people taken into custody

RCMP vehicles in the parking lot of the former White Spot restaurant along Terminal Avenue following a shooting Sunday, March 12. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)
A suspect seen on security cameras stealing purses from victims in Vancouver in January 2023. (VPD handout)

VIDEO: Police look for suspect behind string of purse thefts in Vancouver

At least four instances of thefts in the same area of Vancouver, and police say its the same culprit

A suspect seen on security cameras stealing purses from victims in Vancouver in January 2023. (VPD handout)
A woman types on a laptop on a train in New Jersey on May 18, 2021. A panicked 14-year-old from British Columbia and his family paid $1,500 to a company that claimed it would recover intimate images that were being used to extort him. It didn’t. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Jenny Kane

‘Recovery scams’ targeting sextortion victims are on the rise, experts warn

RCMP report 52,306 complaints in 2020-21, a 510 per cent increase in seven years

A woman types on a laptop on a train in New Jersey on May 18, 2021. A panicked 14-year-old from British Columbia and his family paid $1,500 to a company that claimed it would recover intimate images that were being used to extort him. It didn’t. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Jenny Kane
The Prince George RCMP detachment is under investigation by Alberta’s police watchdog over findings it failed to investigate sexual abuse claims against its own officers. (Black Press Media file photo)

Watchdog probing allegations Prince George cops abused underage Indigenous sex workers

B.C. RCMP detachment failed to properly investigate claims against their officers made back in 2004

The Prince George RCMP detachment is under investigation by Alberta’s police watchdog over findings it failed to investigate sexual abuse claims against its own officers. (Black Press Media file photo)
Creston RCMP are seeking public assistance in locating Chad Meszarosi who is wanted on 32 separate charges. (RCMP handout photo)

B.C. man wanted on 32 charges, including escape, assault and theft

Chad Meszarosi was lasted spotted in the Central Kootenays

Creston RCMP are seeking public assistance in locating Chad Meszarosi who is wanted on 32 separate charges. (RCMP handout photo)