Here’s a roundup of crime stories from around B.C. on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024.
Man convicted of second-degree murder dies in prison
Gerald Leslie Dolman, who stabbed a Chilliwack man to death in 2016, died in prison on Tuesday, Correctional Service Canada said Thursday.
He was 72 years old and had been serving an indeterminate sentence since Dec. 1, 2017.
He was charged with second-degree murder after he stabbed a 49-year-old man in the 46000-block of Yale Road.
Police believe the incident started after Dolman’s vehicle followed the victim’s car on Yale Road and that Dolman struck a cyclist while following the victim.
The two cars collided in a parking lot at which point an altercation led to the death of the victim, whose name was not released. It is believed the two men knew each other.
Coquitlam RCMP warn of increase in extortion scams
Coquitlam RCMP are warning the public about an ongoing extortion scam after receiving more than 18 reports in a week.
In the scam, the perpetrators contact the victims via email claiming to have acquired compromising pictures, videos and personal information of the victim. They direct the victims to send money to a bitcoin wallet or risk having the personal information and photographs sent to their friends and family, according to the RCMP.
They also provide a photograph of the victim’s house, which can be easily located on the internet, as proof that they possess the personal details of the victim.
This scam can appear convincing because the victim is contacted directly and provided with open-source personal information, said RCMP spokesperson Corp. Alexa Hodgins.
“We want to remind the public to remain cognizant of these types of scams and to report incidents to the police immediately.”
In all of the 18 incidents, none of the victims provided money to the perpetrators, Hodgins said.
Hodgins advised people to never give out personal information or information about your computer, and not to open email, files, or links from people you do not know and trust.
Mounties on Vancouver Island seize illicit drugs, cash and stolen merchandise
Two men have been arrested on Vancouver Island after a shoplifting spree, in which they allegedly stole about $10,000 worth of merchandise.
West Shore RCMP officers allege the suspects attended multiple locations of Home Depot, London Drugs and Best Buy throughout the Capital Regional District, allegedly stealing from each store.
The men were arrested outside a business in Duncan on Sept. 12. They were later released on condition they attend court in December.
The suspects, who are not residents of Vancouver Island, are identified as 45 and 30 years old.
One of their homes in New Westminster was searched by police, where officers seized about $30,000 in stolen merchandise, $20,000 in stolen luxury clothing, as well as cocaine, fentanyl and hydromorphone and benzodiazepine pills.
Charges are pending.