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Pedestrian walk boxes attacked

‘Alcohol might have something to do with it’

The Whistler RCMP arrested a 30-year-old Ontario man for allegedly stealing eight pedestrian walk boxes at Lorimer Road and Blackcomb Way on Tuesday morning.

According to Sgt. Steve Wright, someone called the Whistler RCMP around 1 a.m., Aug. 4, claiming they could see a male hitting a lamppost with a large stick. When police officers arrived on scene, they found a man using a large rock to break off the buttons that activate the pedestrian crossing lights.

"We think alcohol might have something to do with it," said Wright. "He was intoxicated when he was arrested."

RCMP officers recovered all eight pedestrian walk boxes, but Wright was not sure if they are still reusable. The units cost about $5,000 each, he said, plus there is a cost to install them.

The man was transported to North Vancouver Court, where he appeared Tuesday afternoon. The Whistler RCMP recommended charging him with one count of mischief over $5,000, Wright said, but the Crown could increase the charge to eight counts of mischief. The maximum sentence he could receive is 10 years in jail. 

Woman assaulted in pickup truck near Creekside

A woman was sexually assaulted near Creekside this weekend, according to the RCMP.

On Monday, Aug. 3, at approximately 6:15 a.m., a female was on the side of Highway 99 adjusting her backpack when a man pulled up in pickup truck and offered her a ride.

"She got in the vehicle and asked to be taken to Nesters Market," said Sgt. Steve Wright. "The male made sexual advances towards her and touched her inappropriately."

The man was described as six feet tall, thin, lean build and in his 30s. At the time of the alleged assault, he was wearing a tan coloured cap, tan coloured long-sleeve shirt and dark pants.

The man told the woman he was a tree faller, a logger who cuts down trees, said Wright. He had a black Labrador dog in the pickup truck with him, and the dog's name was Cam.

Wright added the pickup truck was either dark blue or dark grey, and it could be a late 1990s Toyota two-seater. There were Tupperware bins and an axe in the truck's bed.

Anyone with more information are asked to call the RCMP.

Vandals slash Pemberton Taxi tires

Mark Hunter, owner of Pemberton Taxi, believes vandals are targeting his transportation company.

Only three weeks after two of his buses were set on fire, Hunter reported this week that 14 tires on his company's vehicles were slashed.

One of Hunter's buses, parked under a power line, had all six tires cut; a van parked in the same area had four tires sliced; and his new bus, which was parked outside his house, had four tires slashed.

The incidents occurred sometime between the night of July 29 and 2 a.m. July 30, when Hunter's driver noticed the slashed tires as he was parking his car. Hunter spent $4,500 this week replacing the tires.

"No one else had their tires slashed, and the one bus was two blocks from the other bus," said Hunter about his claim of targeted vandalism, although he added his allegations are hard to prove.

Earlier in the month, around 4 a.m. on July 9 th , two of Hunter's buses were burned the same night the Pemberton Esso station was broken into. According to Hunter, a fire was started in his green bus that spread to his white bus.

The RCMP has no suspects at this time, said Sgt. Steve Wright, and officers are looking for information from the public.

Two arrested in connection with wallet theft

The RCMP arrested two Pemberton residents in connection with a Japanese tourist's missing wallet and passport last week.

According to Sgt. Steve Wright, the tourist reported the theft around 6 p.m. on Monday, July 27. Three hours later the RCMP learned two people were trying to buy merchandise at a local store using one of the tourist's stolen credit cards.

Based on their description, the RCMP apprehended a 21-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman entering a liquor store in the village. RCMP say the tourist's stolen credit card and passport were in the couple's possession. 

Wright said the suspects, who both live in Pemberton, bought over $2,500 worth of clothing and accessories at several village stores that evening with the stolen credit card. In some stores, the merchants asked for photo identification and the suspects fled before the transaction went through, said Wright.

Both now face numerous fraud and theft charges and will appear in court in September.

RCMP remind merchants to ask for photo identification when accepting credit cards. In this case, said Wright, Caucasians were allowed to make fraudulent purchases using a credit card with a Japanese name on it.

Two car thefts over long weekend

Only two vehicles were stolen this week compared to eight last week, which is good news considering so many people were in town for the August long weekend.

In particular, Whistler RCMP are searching for a blue, 1977 Volkswagen Jetta stolen sometime between 3:30 and 5 p.m. on Aug. 1. The car was parked on Lake Placid Road and Alpha Lake Road, and its most distinguishing feature is a spare tire on one of the front wheels, said Sgt. Steve Wright.

Wright added that overall the long weekend was relatively tame, with no major incidents to report. He said police had 240 calls for service over a seven day period, 34 noise and disturbance calls and 16 people put in prison cells for intoxication, which "is about average for a long weekend."

"The village was very busy, but everyone was well behaved," said Wright.