FREDERIC SERRE

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1510 West

A quick-thinking Pointe Claire public works employee tag-teamed with police officers to nab a pair of car thieves as they were in the act of stealing a luxury Mercedes SUV recently.

The drama unfolded on Jan. 27 at about 10 a.m. at the corner of St. Jean Boulevard and the Highway 40 service road.

“I followed them in my city truck,” said Vaudreuil-Dorion resident Thomas Schiess, 56, adding that he had a bad feeling when his eyes caught sight of a tow truck with no logo or lettering awkwardly towing the SUV.

“The two guys were wearing orange construction vests, and the tow truck was being followed by a pickup truck and they both went into the back loading dock area of the IGA on St. Jean,” Schiess explained.

The city worker kept on driving, but the situation was gnawing at him.

“So I told the guys, ‘Hang on, I’ve got to go back’ (to the scene),” he said.

“By the time I got back, they were just pulling out of the IGA to go north on St. Jean, then east on the service road, with the Mercedes now being towed by the rear wheels, but the front wheels were turned so the Mercedes had pivoted out and was pretty much on a 45-degree angle as they went down the service road, and that’s when I called 911.”

Schiess says he credits the rapid response by police constables from Station 5, as they immediately chased down the tow truck and the accompanying vehicle and placed two men under arrest as Schiess arrived on the scene. Schiess then drove to Station 5 in Pointe Claire to write his statement for police.

An hour later, while filling potholes with his crew on St. Jean Blvd., Schiess says a Station 5 cruiser pulled alongside Schiess’s truck. Inside were the two constables who had made the arrest of the alleged car thieves. They had recognized Schiess and his truck and thanked him for his help.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” said Schiess, who has been working for Pointe Claire for eight years.

Friends, colleagues and West Islanders from all walks of life packed the Rideau Funeral Home in Dollard des Ormeaux last Thursday to say farewell to Frank Taylor, a decorated 30-year police constable who spent most of his career patrolling the streets of the West Island. Taylor died at his home in St. Lazare on Jan. 30 at the age of 80.

Long known as the “king of Cloverdale,” Taylor was remembered as a dedicated police officer, family man and role model for West Island youth. He patrolled the region’s north shore municipalities for three decades, before retiring in 1998. Taylor served out of the former station 12 in Pierrefonds and station 4, but began his policing career with the town of Hampstead.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude for your presence at my father’s funeral,” his daughter Patricia Taylor told mourners. “Your support during this difficult time has meant the world to our family.”

Friends, neighbours and colleagues also paid tribute to Taylor on social media, praising him for his generosity, kindness, sense of humour and for giving hope to young people.

“Frank Taylor was a great man and an amazing cop,” said Shawn Fitzgerald, whose father patrolled with Taylor. “He and my dad always laughed it up together. The Taylors’ loss is my loss, having known him over 40 years. His laughter will be missed by me.”

“A true legend, Mr. 12-4, Frank Taylor has left us,” wrote Sûreté du Québec dispatcher Stéphane Brunet, adding: “Frank marked the lives of so many for so many years. Through his great generosity and his good cheer, he was a friend to everyone. Today, my sadness is immense, but I promise that when I think of you, Frank, I will smile – but just not today.”

In 1997, Taylor was honoured with a Canadian Police Association Top Cop Award and a Montreal police order of merit for having risked his life trying to save a suicidal Boston man who had driven his car into Rivière des Prairies in Ste. Geneviève in 1996. Taylor rushed out of his cruiser and used an old rowboat that had a hole in it (which he plugged up with a shirt) to attempt to reach the victim, pulling him back to shore. Sadly, the man did not survive.

Last Thursday as the family received condolence, Patricia Taylor particularly praised members of the Low Vision Self-Help Association, who travelled from various destinations to pay their respects. Taylor himself faced the challenges of macular degeneration in recent years.

“Among peers who intimately understood the struggles he endured, he discovered a sense of camaraderie and gained practical advice that went beyond the confines of medical consultations,” Patricia Taylor said. “The impact of this group on his emotional well-being was immeasurable.”

Taylor is survived by Heidi Luther, his wife of 60 years, his daughters Patricia and Jennifer, and his precious pooch, Henry.

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

He was dubbed the “King of Cloverdale,” a neighbourhood in Pierrefonds, because of his community involvement and acts of kindness. He retired as a constable with the Montreal Police Department in 1998 after 30 years of service. On Jan. 30, St. Lazare resident Frank Taylor died at home at the age of 80.

Friends, neighbours and colleagues spent the entire week paying tribute to Taylor on social media, praising him for his generosity, kindness, sense of humour and for helping countless troubled youth during his years as a police officer patrolling the West Island’s north shore communities.

“Frank Taylor was a great man and an amazing cop,” said Shawn Fitzgerald, whose father patrolled with Taylor. “He and my dad always laughed it up together. The Taylors’ loss is my loss, having known him over 40 years. His laughter will be missed by me.”

“A true legend, Frank Taylor has left us,” wrote Sûreté du Québec dispatcher Stéphane Brunet, adding: “Frank marked the lives of so many for so many years. Through his great generosity and his good cheer, he was a friend to everyone. Today, my sadness is immense, but I promise that when I think of you, Frank, I will smile – but just not today.”

In 1997, Taylor was honoured with a Canadian Police Association Top Cop Award and a Montreal police order of merit for having risked his life trying to save a suicidal Boston man who had driven his car into Rivière des Prairies in Ste. Geneviève in 1996. Taylor rushed out of his cruiser and used an old rowboat that had a hole in it (which he plugged with a shirt) to attempt to reach the victim, pulling him back to shore. Sadly, the man did not survive.

Survived by Heidi Luther, his wife of 60 years, his daughters Patricia and Jennifer, and his precious pooch, Henry. A visitation will take place tomorrow at the Rideau Funeral Home in Dollard des Ormeaux, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“There will be an opportunity at the funeral home for people to give their eulogies,” said daughter Patricia, who said the location was appropriate, given that Montreal police Station 4 – where her father worked – is next door. Taylor spent a total of 30 years as a police officer, most of those at Station 4 and the former Station 12 in Pierrefonds.

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The 1019 Report

The municipalities of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, L’Île Perrot and Terrasse-Vaudreuil have joined the Sûreté du Québec in warning residents not to be duped by phoney door-to-door solicitors after residents in those towns called police to complain about various fraudsters posing as mailmen or even town employees.

In one of the schemes, suspects dressed as Canada Post employees are asking for money in exchange for the delivery of registered mail. In one case, a Vaudreuil-Dorion woman was fleeced of $8,000, the SQ said, adding that an investigation is under way into that incident that occurred Jan. 10.

SQ spokesperson Marythé Bolduc said the investigation into the Vaudreuil-Dorion case is still in its early stages, and investigators are looking into whether the suspects in that case are connected to other attempted frauds in the region.

According to police, the Canada Post fraud sees suspects wearing full Canada Post uniforms, knocking at residences, and claiming to have registered mail that requires payment for delivery. In the Vaudreuil-Dorion case, the fraudsters were equipped with a portable debit machine and told the occupant that she needed to pay $2 to accept a registered letter destined for her daughter. After swiping her card and making the payment, the suspect replaced the woman’s card with what appeared to be a perfect replica displaying the logo of the woman’s financial institution.

According to the SQ, the woman never noticed that the suspects had stolen $8,000 from her until she visited her bank the next day and was told that her account was empty.

In the wake of that incident, complaints were made by residents in at least 10 municipalities in the province in which fraudsters were knocking at doors, attempting to solicit money through various schemes.

The Town of L’Île Perrot issued a warning on its Facebook page last week urging citizens to be watchful for fraudsters posing as town employees.

“We have received reports from citizens about unidentified, unlicensed door-to-door solicitors claiming to be municipal employees,” the notice stated. “A permit is required for door-to-door solicitation.”

Frederic Serre
The Advocate

The strong arm of the law has come down hard on 75 men and women throughout Quebec’s Montérégie and Lanaudière territory, each found guilty of poaching charges in the wake of a four-year investigation that saw fines totalling $314,430 levied against members of what investigators say belonged to a well-organized network.

The Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs in November released the details of its lengthy investigation. Dubbed Operation 57, more than 100 provincial wildlife investigators swooped in on various locations in the region four years ago, on Nov. 27, 2019, making the arrests after acting on tips received from local residents regarding various offences related to poaching. The arrests resulted in the dismantling of a well-organized poaching network, investigators said.

In a recent statement issued Nov. 20, 2023, the provincial authorities provided a detailed list of individuals, including their addresses, charges and fines.

The investigation focused on various activities, including the sale, purchase, illegal possession and exceeding of limits of fish and game, as well as the illegal fishing of yellow perch, walleye, sturgeon and striped bass. Some individuals were also charged with using live fish bait, a practice that is prohibited in Quebec, while others were charged with picking, possessing and selling wild garlic.

According to the ministry, the majority of individuals charged pleaded guilty.

The person facing the biggest fine is Francis Laroche of Beauharnois, slapped with a $67,925 penalty for a total of seven violations – illegal sale of fish, exceeding limits and illegal possession of fish, use of live bait, illegal purchase of large game, non-compliance with fish size limits, use of prohibited fishing gear, and fishing during prohibited times. Laroche also has had his hunting and fishing permits suspended for two years. He is also prohibited from fishing or possessing fishing gear within 100 meters of any body of water for a period of two years (from April 8, 2022).

The second most heavily fined individual is Marcel Champagne of Ste. Barbe. He was fined $54,350 in connection with the illegal purchase and selling of fish, the illegal purchase of large game and the sale and purchase of wild garlic.

Also listed among those facing the heaviest fines were Paul-Emile Richer of Godmanchester, who was fined $20,975; and Jessy Maurice of Beauharnois, who was hit with $11,175 in penalties.

Fifteen residents of Salaberry de Valleyfield were charged. They include Jean-Michel Leboeuf ($6,705), David Breton ($6,375), Jocelyn Faubert ($5,475), Réal Moyen ($5,475), Michel Forget ($5,000), Martine Durocher ($3,650), Patrick Deschambault ($3,650), Carl Delaunière ($3,000), Réal Dufour ($3,000), Gaétan Patry ($3,000), Yolande Laporte ($2,500), Gaétanne Charrette-Giroux ($2,500), Linda Pilon ($2,500), Michèle Schryer ($2,500), François Lafrenière ($2,500).

Richard Clément ($6,650) and Denis Poirier ($3,000), both of Ste. Barbe, as well as Gérald Galipeault of St. Louis de Gonzague ($5,475) and Etienne Nuckle of Terrebonne ($4,600) were among those listed.

Meanwhile, Roger Archambault of St. Zotique, pleaded guilty to illegal fishing and was fined $2,500, while Richmond Monette of Coteau du Lac also pleading guilty to illegal fishing, and fined $2,000. Luce Laberge of St. Zotique was fined $1,825 for the illegal purchase of fish, and Robert Latreille of St. Zotique, was fined $1,825 for the same offence.

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

A Presbyterian minister who lives in Pointe des Cascades will spend the next eight months in jail after admitting to repeatedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl who was a member of his congregation in Montreal West.

Montreal West Presbyterian pastor Samson Afoakwah was sentenced last Friday at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse. He was charged in 2022 of sexual assault against a minor and pleaded guilty to all charges.

It was the victim’s father who reported the crimes to police after noticing that his daughter’s behaviour had changed, prompting him to speak with her, at which time she revealed that Afoakwah had molested her on a regular basis in his car and in the basement of his residence.

Through a plea bargain, the prosecution and the defence agreed on an eight-month jail term. Upon his release, Afoakwah will be on probation for two years, and he will be listed on the sex offenders’ registry for 10 years.

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The 1019 Report

A two-month investigation by police led to a raid last Wednesday on a Vaudreuil-Dorion convenience store on Valois Street and an apartment upstairs from the business, resulting in the seizure of nearly $200,000 worth of contraband cigarettes and tobacco products.

The raid was led by the Sûreté du Québec’s anti-contraband unit, and involved officers from the SQ detachment in Vaudreuil-Dorion, as well as members of the RCMP from the Valleyfield detachment.

According to the SQ, the investigation began last November when officers from the Vaudreuil-Soulanges detachment received a tip that the convenience store, located at 360 Valois Street, was involved in illegal contraband tobacco sales and distribution.

Last Wednesday afternoon, officers moved in and seized more than 1,000 contraband cigarettes, 5,400 electronic cigarettes and more than 11,000 vaping cartridges, as well as an assortment of tobacco products.

“We’re waiting for the investigators to get back to us, but we’re talking about contraband tobacco and the sale of vaporizers, possibly to minors,” said SQ spokesperson Valérie Beauchamp. She said two individuals have been arrested and will face a litany of charges.

Frederic Serre
The 1019 Report

Snow and slippery road conditions are being blamed for a head-on collision in Coteau du Lac last weekend that sent five people to hospital.

According to Stéphane Tremblay of the Sûreté du Québec, the accident happened last Saturday afteroon on Highway 201 near Ruisseau Nord Road when a Subaru and a Hyundai collided head on. It is estimated that both vehicles were travelling about 70 kilometres per hour, Tremblay said, adding that blowing snow and icy patches probably led to the crash.

All five occupants of both cars were sent to hospital with minor injuries, although one person suffered a fractured thigh bone. Highway 201 was closed for several hours.

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The 1019 Report

A St. Zotique residence was gutted by flames last Thursday afternoon, and while no injuries were reported, the house has been declared a total loss.

Firefighters from St. Zotique, Coteau du Lac, Rivière Beaudette, St. Polycarpe, Salaberry de Valleyfield, Pincourt and St. Clet responded to a 911 call at about 3:30 p.m. for a blaze at a residence on 15^th Avenue. The fire was already raging by the time firefighters arrived.

The cause of the blaze remains unknown at this time.

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

An urgent 911 call last Sunday evening in Vaudreuil-Dorion triggered an emergency response, but by the time the first firefighters arrived on the scene on Valois Street, flames had already destroyed the garage of a residence.

According to Chief John Boudreau of the Vaudreuil-Dorion fire department, the call came in at 9 :30 p.m., as flames engulfed the garage attached to the small one-storey house. While the garage was destroyed and the house suffered smoke and water damage, no injuries to the two occupants were reported.

About 30 firefighters from four municipalities, including members of the Canadian Red Cross and the Sûreté du Québec, were on the scene.

Firefighters from Pincourt and Salaberry de Valleyfield also reported to the fire, while a team from the St. Lazare fire department were on standby at the Vaudreuil-Dorion station.

While the cause of the blaze has not been confirmed, police and firefighters said a motorcycle and a can of gasoline inside the garage caused the flames to spread quickly. Thankfully, a firewall prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the building. Police said the fire was finally extinguished at about 1:30 a.m. Monday.

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The 1019 Report

A 16-year-old Ontario girl has been charged with killing a 16-year-old boy – eight months after his battered body was found in a field in St. Zotique.

The Sûreté du Québec made the announcement last Friday, adding the girl is also charged with killing an Ontario teenager, identified as a friend of the victim whose body was found in St. Zotique. The SQ said the accused was 15 at the time of the killings.

On April 17, a farmer made the grisly discovery of a severely beaten body in a field off 69^th Avenue in St. Zotique. SQ investigators could not identify the teen because of his injuries. Photos of his face and the tattoos were made public, leading to his identification. He was a resident of the town of Prévost in the Laurentians. The investigation also include surveillance camera footage of an SUV driving into the field, where the body was dumped, before the vehicle quickly drove away.

The victim’s family members told the SQ that they had reported the boy missing at the end of March, and he was last seen at the Côte Vertu metro station in Montreal three weeks before he was killed.

The lengthy investigation led to the arrest of a Mississauga girl, who last week was charged with first-degree murder at the Valleyfield youth court. She was also charged in Ontario youth court with complicity following the St. Zotique killing in various cities in Ontario, including Ajax. Prosecutors are considering having the girl tried in adult court, according to the SQ, due to the gravity of the crimes she is charged with.

The girl is currently being held in Mississauga, where she is facing an additional accusation in the killing of Zackhry Ramnath, identified as a friend of the St. Zotique victim. Ramnath’s body was found off a road about 50 kilometres north of Toronto last April 23.

York Regional Police arrested the girl last June and charged her with Ramnath’s murder. A 19-year-old man was also arrested.

The SQ said the girl will return to court in the coming weeks.

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The 1019 Report

Seven months after a man’s lifeless body washed ashore in St. Zotique, the Sûreté du Québec is turning to the public in the hope of identifying him.

Investigators from the SQ’s integrated disappearance and kidnapping coordination team issued a public notice last Monday, including a photo of the deceased man’s face. The victim’s body was found May 2 by a passer-by beneath a dock off 72^nd Avenue.

The deceased is a white male, about 30 years old. He was dressed in a blue T-shirt with a cannabis leaf. He wore blue jogging pants. He also had a gold ring on his right hand, a bracelet on his right wrist and a chain around his neck.

The man had a tattoo on his right arm with the word “Warrior,” as well as a dove and a lotus flower. The SQ is asking anyone with information to call 1-800-659-4264, and include event number 172-230502-007.

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The 1019 Report

While police and rescue workers expressed relief that no injuries were reported, a car-train collision in Île Perrot early Monday morning added to the traffic chaos in the region as commuters looking to avoid the congestion on Highway 40 due to the reduction in the number of open lanes on the Île aux Tourtes Bridge found themselves in delays along Highway 20.

The crash occurred shortly before 7 a.m. Monday, when a Canadian National train struck a car on the track and then came to a halt between the Terrasse-Vaudreuil and Île Perrot stations.While police and emergency crews tended to the collision site, the train remained stationery for more than an hour, creating a traffic backlog. The Sûreté du Québec cleared the site shortly before 9 a.m.

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The 1019 Report

With the office Christmas party season rolling into high gear, the Sûreté du Québec is stepping up patrols to catch drunk drivers. Police officers will be manning roadblocks on all major highways as part of a campaign that began last Thursday and will run until Jan. 2.

Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and will be administering roadside breathalyzer tests. The campaign also includes a social media awareness blitz by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) to alert drivers of the consequences of drinking and driving.

According to the SAAQ, alcohol and drugs remain the leading causes of death in road collisions in Quebec. Between 2017 and 2021, on average, alcohol was involved in 25 per cent of fatal collisions and 15 per cent of accidents resulting in serious injury.

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

The strong arm of the law has come down hard on four residents of the region, each pleading guilty to poaching charges in the wake of a four-year investigation that saw fines totalling $314,430 handed out to 75 individuals throughout the Montérégie territory that investigators say belonged to a well-organized network.

The Quebec Environment Ministry late last month released the details of its lengthy investigation. Dubbed Operation 57, more than 100 provincial wildlife investigators four years ago swooped in on various locations in the region on Nov. 27, 2019, making the arrests after acting on tips received from local residents regarding various offences related to poaching. The arrests resulted in the dismantling of a well-organized poaching network.

The investigation focused on various activities, including the sale, purchase, illegal possession and exceeding of limits of fish, wild garlic and game, as well as the illegal fishing of yellow perch, walleye, sturgeon and striped bass. Some individuals were also charged with using live fish bait, a practice that is prohibited in Quebec.

According to the ministry, the majority of individuals charged pleaded guilty. Locally, they include Roger Archambault of St. Zotique, who pleaded guilty to illegal fishing and was fined $2,500, as well as Richmond Monette of Coteau du Lac, also pleading guilty to illegal fishing, and fined $2,000.

Luce Laberge of St. Zotique was fined $1,825 for the illegal purchase of fish, and Robert Latreille of St. Zotique, was fined $1,825 for the same offence.

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

A two-car crash on eastbound Highway 40 in Vaudreuil-Dorion early Monday morning turned into a search for a car thief that is still ongoing.

According to the Sûreté du Québec, the accident happened at about 5 a.m., when the car collided. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered that one of the vehicles had been reported stolen, and its driver had fled the scene of the accident on foot.

The suspected car thief, a man, ran off, leaving the injured driver of the other vehicle at the scene.

While paramedics treated the injured driver at the scene, SQ officers searched for the suspect.

As of yesterday morning, the suspected car thief had not been located.

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The 1019 Report

The Sûreté du Québec is investigating an incident last Thursday involving a man loitering around an elementary school in Île Perrot.

According to the SQ, a man reportedly entered École primaire François-Perrot on Grand Blvd. and was seen inside one of the bathrooms.

After witnesses spotted the suspect, school authorities were alerted and called 911. SQ officers responded to the scene, but the suspect had already fled. School officials emailed parents the same day to inform them of the incident, adding that no child was hurt and that the SQ was investigating.

“We are currently conducting some verifications to figure out why this individual was found inside the school,” said SQ spokesperson Valérie Beauchamp.

In its message to parents, the school said an SQ patrol vehicle would be parked in front of the school, adding that new security measures have been put in place, including making sure all doors of the building are locked during recess and lunch hours.

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

Sûreté du Québec officers were kept busy earlier this week with a high-speed chase involving a stolen vehicle on Highway 40 in Vaudreuil-Dorion ended with a crash.

According to the SQ’s Vaudreuil-Soulanges East detachment, the vehicle being chased had been reported stolen. A 19-year-old was taken into custody. He faces charges of car theft and fleeing police. Additional charges, including reckless driving, obstruction and possession of a stolen vehicle, could be laid, said SQ spokesperson Valérie Beauchamp.

The drama unfolded Monday at about 4:45 a.m. when officers attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on westbound Highway 40 in Vaudreuil-Dorion. Instead of stopping, the driver continued speeding before losing control of the vehicle and striking another car. No injuries were reported.

A brief foot chase followed, but the fleeing suspect was quickly nabbed by SQ officers. Beauchamp said the young man was arrested and released, and will appear in court at a later date. The SQ did not say where the suspect resides.

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The 1019 Report

A 44-year-old Vaudreuil-Dorion man who had a 2019 murder conviction overturned on appeal pleaded guilty last week before a new trial could even begin.

Richard Hunt entered the plea at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse on Oct. 2, admitting he killed two bikers in a wooded area of Vaudreuil-Dorion in 2016.

In 2019, Hunt was convicted of the premeditated murders of Joseph Fluet and Steven Lamarsh, two Rock Machine bikers.

According to testimony presented at Hunt’s first trial, Fluet and Lamarsh were ambushed by Hunt and his girlfriend, Mélanie Binette, in a field in Vaudreuil-Dorion on Dec. 1, 2016. Hunt, who owed the two men money, had led them to believe that he would be able to pay them back, thanks to an $850,000 fortune buried in the wooded area following the theft of an armored truck.

Fluet and Lamarsh arrived at the scene armed only with shovels. But rather than participating in a treasure hunt, the two victims were shot by Hunt with a .223-caliber rifle. Hunt had been hiding waiting for them. He also shot the girlfriend of one of the victims. Rachel Wickenheiser survived and testified at Hunt’s first trial.

At the conclusion of his trial in 2019, Hunt was sentenced to life imprisonment. Now, under the terms of his plea, Hunt, who has been detained since his arrest in December 2016, will be eligible to apply for release in 2029.

While he will be eligible for parole, it will not be automatic, said Superior Court Judge André Vincent, who reminded Hunt that if he is released, he will be under the supervision of the Parole Board for the rest of his life.

Hunt’s accomplice, Binette, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2020 and sentenced to 11 years in prison.