News briefs for Thursday, January 12, 2023

Police charge 28 in festive season impaired driving campaign

10:25 AM

Winnipeg police stopped 2,929 cars and found 75 drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the service’s annual festive season check stop program.

Officers charged 28 drivers with criminal impaired driving offences during the program, which saw police set up stops throughout the city from Dec. 1 to New Year’s Eve, police said. Officers also wrote 96 traffic tickets.

Police conducted 481 breath tests, 47 of which resulted in immediate driving prohibitions for the person behind the wheel. The average blood alcohol concentration was 140 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood (or 0.14 per cent), while the highest was 270 mg per cent.

Of the 75 people found to be impaired, 56 were men and 19 were women. The average age was 36 — the youngest alleged impaired driver was 18 and the oldest was 66.

Missing woman last seen in North End

10:54 AM

Winnipeg police are searching for a woman missing from the North End since early December.

Gabrielle Marsden, 39, was last seen sometime in early December last year near Dufferin Avenue and Salter Street, police said.

She’s 5-3 with a thin build, short brown hair and brown eyes.

Police ask anyone with information on Marsden’s whereabouts to call the missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.

Second arrest made after private investigator hired to tail chief justice

11:17 AM

Winnipeg and Calgary police have arrested a second man accused in the intimidation of Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench’s chief jusaatice.

In July 2021, Winnipeg police began investigating after a private investigation firm was hired to surveil Chief Justice Glenn Joyal, who was presiding over a legal challenge to COVID-19 public health orders.

In December last year, the legal representative of several churches who were bringing the challenge, John Victor Carpay, 55, of Calgary, was charged with intimidation of a justice system participant and attempt to obstruct justice.

On Wednesday, Randal Jay Cameron, 45, also of Calgary, was taken into custody in the Alberta city. He’s been charged with intimidation of a justice system participant and attempt to obstruct justice. Winnipeg police said they don’t expect to make any further arrests.

Man shot outside West End home

1:27 PM

A man was shot outside a West End home early Thursday morning.

Winnipeg police were called to the home on the 400 block of Beverley Street for a disturbance and the sound of gunshots at 5:42 a.m., police said.

When officers arrived, they found the injured victim, a man in his 20s. They gave him first aid, applying a bandage to seal the wound, before he was taken to hospital in unstable condition. His condition has stabilized, but he remains in hospital, police said.

Major crimes investigators are probing the incident and ask anyone with information that could help to call the unit at 204-986-6219, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

Mounties make arrest in rural bank robbery spree

2:59 PM

Manitoba RCMP have arrested their suspect in a two-month spree of bank robberies in rural southern Manitoba.

Mounties said five banks were robbed in similar circumstances. The first occurred in Steinbach on Nov. 10, then in Lowe Farm on Nov. 14, Glenboro on Dec. 8, and lastly Miami on Dec. 23 and Jan. 3. RCMP said “thousands” of dollars were stolen, but did not provide an exact number.

The suspect would enter the bank and hand a note to a teller, stating it was a robbery. Sometimes, the note indicated the suspect had a gun, but he wasn’t actually armed, RCMP said.

RCMP investigators identified a suspect and executed warrants residences in Morden and the RM of Hanover, where evidence, including cash, was seized. Brett Ashton Krashel, 30, of Morden, is charged with five counts of robbery.

Injury, illness prompt Jets lineup shuffle

5:47 PM

BUFFALO – Injury and illness has forced some Winnipeg Jets lineup changes.

Forwards David Gustafsson (upper body injury) and Morgan Barron (illness) won’t play tonight as the team continues a road trip in Buffalo. Kevin Stenlund, who missed Tuesday’s game in Detroit with illness, returns to the lineup. As does Saku Maenalanen, who missed the past 16 games with injury.

Defenceman Ville Heinola, who is also battling an illness, and blue-liner Kyle Capobianco are the other scratches for Winnipeg.