East Ottawa business wants police to reopen investigation into damaged trucks
An east Ottawa business says it believes it knows who punctured dozens of dump truck tires in January but is frustrated that, months later, whoever is responsible remains at large.
"One of our employees here discovered that someone had broken into our yard across the road and had flattened 30 tires on dump trucks and tractor trailers and I guess caused a little over $40,000 worth of damage," said Sean Saunders, general manager for Maurice Yelle Excavation.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
It happened on Jan. 20, in the yard where Maurice Yelle Excavation parks its trucks.
Staff looked through security footage and recognized a vehicle they say matches one driven by a former employee.
"He had made threats to break some things during his exit interview and a couple days prior," said Saunders. "So, we have a pretty good idea of who committed the crime, and I think it was just revenge based."
Security video shows a vehicle near the Maurice Yelle Excavation parking lot on Jan. 20, 2024, the night a dozen trucks were damaged. (Maurice Yelle Excavation/supplied)
Months have passed, but no arrests have been made.
"The Break and Enter Unit investigated the file, which included reviewing CCTV footage from several businesses in the area," Ottawa police said. "Due to a lack of evidence, the file has since been closed. Should new information be obtained, the file may be reopened."
The company says officers made several phone calls to the potential suspect and the OPP confirms it visited a home at the request of Ottawa police.
But the company says that is not good enough. It wants to see the investigation reopened with more effort being made to make contact with the person they believe did this.
"They kind of agree with us that they kind of know that's the same person, the same vehicle, but since they don't see the person's face, they don't see the license plate, they cannot go to a judge to get a warrant to get this guy arrested or brought into the station," said Maurice Yelle Excavation health and safety officer Denis Perrault.
A closeup photo of a punctured tire from one of Maurice Yelle Excavation's damaged trucks. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)
Saunders says the incident has been frustrating and costly.
"Because it was 12 different vehicles that were damaged, they're claiming that it's 12 separate claims. So, in this case, we would get no reimbursement whatsoever and for a small family business like us, it's not easy to absorb this type of cost," he said.
The company has put up a $10,000 reward for information.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.