REGINA - Regina Police Service is reporting that they had arrested a 39-year-old man for a rash of damage to multiple gas meters in the city's downtown.
The individual, who made his first appearance in provincial court Monday, was charged with 25 counts of Mischief Under $5,000, three of Mischief Over $5,000, one count of Endangering Public Lives and two counts of Assault with a Weapon, all Criminal Code offences.
The charges are in connection to a crime spree on Saturday and Sunday that saw damage to a total twenty-six gas meters in the city, according to police.
According to a news release from Regina police, on Saturday, Sept. 23 at around 11:00 p.m., police had been contacted by Regina Fire Department of a potential gas leak at a business on the 1900 block of Victoria Avenue.
Police report that the caller had “heard a high pressure release sound and observed a male running from a gas meter. Police attended the area to provide traffic control while the leak was investigated and repaired.”
Around 11:07 p.m. came another call to police, this time from an employee of a business on the 2100 block of Victoria Avenue, reporting a smell of natural gas in the area. Soon after, a damaged gas meter was located on the 2000 block of Cornwall Street.
Police report that over the following several hours they received “multiple reports” of gas leaks at different meters, with police and repair crews attended.
Around 7:40 a.m. the next day, police were sent to 1800 block of Scarth Street responding to another report of a male cutting gas lines. This time, the call had come from a fire inspector for Regina Fire Department who had been attending the fire at the commercial heritage property in downtown Regina on 12th Avenue.
According to police, the fire inspector had observed a male cutting a gas line and had attempted to stop him, at which point the suspect threatened him with what police describe as a "bladed weapon," and fled.
Police report that shortly afterwards came another call with another report of a male seen cutting gas lines in the downtown area. This caller had also attempted to stop the suspect and was threatened as well with a bladed weapon.
It was just minutes later at 7:45 a.m. that police located the 39 year-old male suspect at the corner of 11th Avenue and Hamilton Street, where he was arrested. Police report that the bladed weapon was recovered nearby.
Police are reporting that all the damaged gas meters have since been repaired; the male is also believed responsible for two acts of downtown graffiti that evening. At this stage the investigation into the commercial building fire is ongoing.
Following the meeting of Regina Board of Police Commissioners on Wednesday, Interim Police Chief Dean Rae was asked about the incident.
“Right now we’re still checking the area to see if there’s any other damage that’s occurred,” said Rae. “There may be additional charges pending against that individual pending the results of that investigation.”
As for why this happened, Rae could not give an answer.
“We don’t see events like this very often and it’s very concerning when they do occur. There’s a great deal of public safety concern as a result of those cut gas lines and what that could mean to the community. Fortunately, we were able to apprehend him and put an end to it and hopefully that will put an end to anything like that in the future.”
There was also concern about the active fire happening downtown while this gas line spree was happening. Rae acknowledged to reporters that “there was lots of concern with that.”
“At this point in time, Regina Fire and Protective Services are still deeming it an active fire and they’re still working on that incident. When that occurred, our members were out there very shortly after that and apprehended the individual, so that put an end to any further damage to gas lines, but there was definitely a great deal of concern with that.”
With respect to the 12th Avenue fire, Rae said it was his understanding that the structure was “still smouldering away” and “there’s some structural integrity issues which will hinder (Regina Fire) going in.” He said it would be Regina Fire that would conduct the investigation and Regina Police will be brought in once Fire can tell them what the cause is.
“It’s really up to Fire when they can go in and do their investigation and hopefully help determine what the cause of that fire was.”
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