By Alison Taylor
Two explosions were set off in Pemberton early this week, the first destroying a garbage container, the second damaging a Port-a-Potti.
On Tuesday night around 8 p.m. police and fire rescue services responded to an explosion at the Information Centre on Highway 99 near the Mainroad Maintenance Yard.
An explosion had ripped apart a bear-smart metal garbage container, sending metal shrapnel as far as 20 metres from the scene. The explosion could be heard from one kilometre away. RCMP Constable Michelle Nisbet said the explosives were some type of homemade bomb, possibly a PVC pipe bomb and she warned that there could have been serious injuries had someone been in the area at the time of the explosion.
“It’s extremely dangerous,” she said.
One night earlier a Port-a-Potti near the skate park was damaged extensively by a similar explosion.
Witnesses at the time saw a dark coloured crew cab pickup truck and a light coloured Ford Topaz-type vehicle at the scene when the explosion occurred.
“The sooner we can find who’s doing this, the better,” said Nisbet.
Police want to remind the public that these two incidents are serious criminal code offences of mischief endangering life. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police or call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Suspect nabbed in the act
A young Whistler man is facing break and enter charges after police caught a man robbing a village store red-handed.
Just before 2 a.m. Monday police were investigating a broken window at municipal hall when a call came in for a robbery in progress at a village store.
There they found a man leaving a store through a broken window. He was carrying several boxes of new watches. The suspect dropped the watches and fled. Police chased the suspect on foot and later discovered a cache of watches in a nearby wooded location.
Fourteen watches totaling $3,000 were stolen.
A 26-year-old Whistler man was arrested and is to appear in a North Vancouver court to face break and enter charges.
There was nothing stolen from municipal hall that evening. A week earlier a computer was stolen from the hall through a broken window.
