DEADLY CANADA DAY HOUSE FIRE

Members of the Caledon OPP remain on scene at a house fire that occurred on Canada Day that claimed the life of two victims.

“On July 1, 2022, at approximately 6:40 a.m., Caledon OPP, along with Caledon Fire, attended a house fire on Mountainview Road near Highway 9, in the Town of Caledon,” say Police. “When emergency crews arrived, the residence was found to be fully engulfed in flames. Nearby residents were evacuated with two people unaccounted for. The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal was contracted and attended the scene. Two victims were later recovered.

“The names of the deceased have not yet been released as identities have yet to be confirmed and to allow for family notifications.”

IDENTIFICATION IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY DEATH

Members of the Caledon OPP are assisting with a death investigation at a commercial property in the Town of Caledon.

“On June 30, 2022, at approximately 3:20 p.m., Caledon OPP responded to a report of an unresponsive male at a commercial property on Airport Road, near King Street, in the Town of Caledon,” say Police. “The initial investigation revealed that a male was trapped under a garage bay door. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The deceased has been identified as Pasquale Salerno, 85, of Caledon.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) and the Federal Department of Labour were notified and are investigating. The Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and OPP Forensic Identification Unit (FIS) are assisting with the investigation.  

POLICE WARN AGAINST AGRICULTURAL TRESSPASSING

The Dufferin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is noticing an increase in agricultural trespassing in Dufferin County, culminating in a serious instance being shared on social media.

“On the Canada [Day] Long Weekend there were two occurrences of people stopping on the side of Highway 10 in Melancthon Township and entering a Canola field to take photos,” say Police. “While Canola is beautiful at this time of year, it is a crop. It is a large part of plant-based diets and a source of income for our farmers. The potential damage to this crop is valued at $2,000 if only one acre is damaged. It will increase if there was a larger area affected. 

“Fields containing crops are not required to have fences or signage to deter people from entering, as stated in the Trespass to Property Act. Therefore, entering a field, whether it is on foot or with an off-road vehicle, is trespassing. If a person damages crops, then a criminal charge of Mischief could be considered by a responding police officer.

“While Dufferin OPP will be monitoring for these situations, we do need public assistance. The situation that happened this past weekend was captured by photo, but a timely phone call to the police was not made. Dufferin OPP asks that if you see this happening, please call 1-888-310-1122 and report it immediately.”

The Dufferin OPP is committed to public safety, delivering proactive and innovative policing in partnership with our communities. Officers value your contribution to building safe communities. If you have information about suspected unlawful activity, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at 1-800-822-8477 (TIPS) or www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

“FRAUD DEPARTMENT” SCAM WARNING

The Nottawasaga Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is warning members of the public to be vigilant when receiving phone calls or emails from alleged fraud departments stating suspicious activity on banking accounts.

Police are hoping that informing the public will help reduce further scams.

What's been happening and what you should be aware of:

Phone call from someone pretending to work for a banking institution

Tells you that your bank accounts are at risk and money needs to be secured in a Bitcoin account

Provides an address for you to deposit funds into a Bitcoin machine

Requests you attend your banking institution to withdraw funds

Requests you to purchase prepaid gift cards and asking you to provide the gift card numbers

Often times, there will be a request not to tell anyone, to keep it a secret to avoid further trouble

How to protect yourself:

If something doesn't seem right hang up

Call your local police service and meet with an officer

Make a follow up call to the actual banking institution to confirm information

For more information regarding ongoing scams in Canada or to report fraud, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre.ca. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, call the Nottawasaga OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).