The Laval Police announced last week that investigators with the force made five arrests in May as part of an investigation into the theft of warehoused cargo, including high-end commercial vehicles.
Launched in October 2021, the lengthy investigation determined that the perpetrators were breaking into storage facilities in various areas of Laval and Montreal.
Five suspects were linked to the thefts whose value is estimated at $1.2 million and which included trucks and trailers loaded with air conditioning equipment.
A first search warrant was executed in May 2022 in the Laurentian community of l’Assomption where some of the stolen vehicles were located, although they had been altered.
Additional search warrants in June that same year at the homes of the suspects also resulted in the seizure of stolen goods, money and firearms. The assessed value of the vehicles seized at that point was around $1 million.
Among the vehicles recovered by the police were a utility trailer, nine Freightliner heavy-duty trucks, one all-terrain vehicle and one GMC Sierra light truck.
This past May 16, the police arrested Denis Guernon, Denis Lavallée, Sébastien St-Hilaire and Mario Savage, all between the ages of 44 and 59 years. They were released on bail with conditions to follow. Jonathan McCrae, 37, was arrested on May 24 after a warrant for his arrest was issued.
He made an appearance in Quebec Court and was also freed on bail with conditions. The charges against all the suspects include break-in and burglary at a business, possession of stolen goods worth more than $5,000, theft involving more than $5,000, vehicle theft and mischief.
More police visibility expected in Laval in effort to combat gun violence
The Laval Police Dept. is promising to increase its efforts against gun-related violence over the next few months, as speculation indicates it could be a hot summer for violent crime.
In a press release last week, the LPD said its Project Paradoxe will mobilize officers to combat gun violence this summer, a season described as a pivotal moment each year.
Jean-François Rousselle, assistant director of investigations with the LPD, said Paradoxe produced encouraging results last year and that the number of arrests and seizures of firearms contributed to a drop in criminality.
The LPD said they will also expand their bike patrol. Community intervention officers have already started several visits, accompanied by various representatives of municipal services.
Quebec investing over $5.6 million to fight organized crime
The provincial government says it will invest $5.67 million to set up an intervention team to fight organized crime in the Montreal region – including Laval.
The team will be made up of 10 Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers who will work closely with the Laval, Montreal, and Longueuil police forces.
The new squad’s mandate will be to ensure a presence in areas known to be frequented by organized crime members, but in particular to increase the sense of security of businesses and citizens who frequent these establishments.
“We want to enhance the public’s sense of security, and that’s why we’re strengthening police presence on the ground in critical areas,” said Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel.
“I feel certain that increased collaboration and intensified operations targeting individuals linked to street gangs will improve the quality of life of citizens in Montreal, Laval and Longueuil, who wish to frequent public places in complete peace of mind,” he added.
Over the past few years, the province’s main municipal police forces have set up organized crime intervention teams, which include the Laval Police Dept.’s Équinoxe, the Montreal Police’s Éclipse, the Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil’s Brigade d’intervention multidisciplinaire, and similar units set up by the Sécurité du Québec.
Man, 25, dies electrocuted while working in Laval
A 25-year-old man died last week after being electrocuted while working at a private residence in Laval-des-Rapides.
The LPD said that a call came in reporting that a man was injured while working on a sprinkler system in a yard behind a residence on des Prairies Blvd. near Dussault Ave. in L-D-R.
“The theory is that he was electrocuted, and he fell close to the water,” said LPD spokesperson Erika Landry, while adding that the man was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Since the injury and subsequent fatality were work-related, Landry said the workers’ health and safety board, known by its acronym CNESST, will be involved in the investigation, assisted by the LPD.
