Council to hear March crime reduction report
By Castlegar Source
At its regular meeting Monday, Castlegar City Council will be receiving its monthly Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) report for the month of March.
In said report, CRU commanding officer Cpl. Darryl Orr outlines some of the Castlegar CRU’s accomplishments for the month (except those that create privacy issues in terms of reporting).
March 1:
“An 18-year-old male facing a charge of manslaughter was on bail and under several conditions, including house arrest, stemming from a violent altercation in May of 2011 in Trail,” Orr explained.
“Information had been received that this male was actively dealing drugs in a community between the
cities of Trail and Castlegar.
“Given the relative proximity of the two cities, the serious nature of the charges being faced by the male, and the information that he was actively dealing drugs, Castlegar CRU and Trail CRU members combined their resources and initiated a new investigation.
“On this date, a search warrant was executed at the male’s residence, where he was arrested without incident. The search of the home yielded evidence of the offences of trafficking in controlled drugs as well as possession of controlled drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
“The male was held in custody and is now facing additional charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in addition to the charge of Manslaughter for which he was originally on bail.”
The Source can report the man is a Trail resident, but must withhold his name due to a publication ban.
March 6:
Castlegar resident Martin Rusnak, 31, was arrested after a Feb. 25 robbery at CastleRock Liquor Store. Both CRU and RCMP General Duty members investigated, resulting in a search of the suspect’s house, the suspect’s arrest, and the suspect’s detainment in police custody.
He is still being held in custody in Kamloops and is awaiting a May 22 court appearance, possibly via video conference.
March 12:
“In November of 2011, members of Castlegar CRU executed a search warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act at a residence in rural Castlegar,” Orr said. “A fifty-eight year old Castlegar male, Phillip Crowley, was arrested at the scene and charged with production of a controlled substance as well as possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.
“On this date, the trial for the matter started in Castlegar Provincial Court. CRU members provided evidence for the duration of the day and the trial has been set over to a date in June for continuation.
An update on the outcome of this file will be provided at that time.”
And, last but certainly not least, is March 25, a story most are familiar with:
‘An evening that many citizens of Castlegar won’t soon forget saw the Saint Rita’s Roman Catholic Church burn to the ground, along with a van belonging to the Canadian Red Cross,” Orr said. “CRU led this investigation with assistance from the Kootenay Boundary Regional General Investigation Section. Members worked together throughout the week and Easter weekend to bring the investigation to a successful conclusion.
Orr said an 18-year-old male was arrested and charged in relation to both fires, including one charge of Arson with Disregard to Human Life and one charge of Arson to Property.
“The male, who appeared before a Provincial Court Judge on April 2, had his application for bail
denied and is currently in custody. He is now also facing a third charge of Uttering Threats to Damage
Property,” Orr said. “His co-accused in the arson to the church and van, is a 16-year-old female who can not be identified due to provisions of the Criminal Youth Justice Act. She appeared by teleconference in front of a Justice of thePeace and was released on a Recognizance of Bail
that includes a number of conditions.”
Both are set to appear next at Castlegar Provincial Court on April 10.
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