NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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Officers from the 1 District (St. Catharines / Thorold) office of the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) have been investigating over 20 incidents of theft from parked vehicles in the Ontario Street and Scott Street area of St. Catharines.
The incidents were believed to be related and have been under investigation since December of 2023. The suspects frequently smashed a window to gain access to the car. The investigations were assigned to detectives from the 1 District Street Crime Unit.
On Jan. 2, 2024, officers responded to a smashed window on a vehicle at a car dealership on Ontario Street in St. Catharines. The following investigation led to detectives identifying two male suspects.
On Jan. 2, 2024, the suspects attended the 2 District (Niagara Falls / Niagara on the Lake) office of the NRPS for an unrelated matter. They were both arrested with out incident and found to be in possession of stolen property (on their person and in their vehicle).
Detectives later applied for and executed a search warrant at a residence in the area of Ontario Street and Carlton Street of St. Catharines where more crime-related stolen property was located and seized.
Richard William Ford (47 years old) of St. Catharines has been arrested and charged with the Criminal Code offences of:
• Theft under $5,000 (eight counts)
• Mischief under $5,000 (nine counts)
Jake Walter Fisher (39 years old) of St. Catharines has been arrested and charged with the Criminal Code offences of:
• Theft under $5,000 (eight counts)
• Mischief under $5,000 (nine counts)
• Fail to comply – Probation Order
Ford and Fisher were both held in custody for a video bail hearing to the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines on Jan. 3, 2024.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officers by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009592.
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.
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