Laval police and crime news

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

One of three suspects arrested following a household invasion in early February in Saint-François was arraigned at the Laval courthouse on March 6.

Samuel Pouliot, age 27, remains detained by the Laval Police. He and the two other suspects were arrested on February 11, a little more than a week after the alleged incident.

Pouliot faces charges of break and enter, armed assault, assault causing injuries, extortion and forcible confinement.

On the evening of February 3, the Laval Police responded to a call for intervention at a home on des Mille-Îles Blvd. in Saint-François where a home invasion was reported to be in progress.

Criminal responsibility in Sainte-Rose bus crash to be decided

A Quebec Superior Court judge will be deciding in early April whether former Société de transport de Laval driver Pierre Ny-St-Amand was mentally fit when he drove an STL bus into the entrance of a Sainte-Rose children’s daycare in early February 2023, killing two children and injuring six others.

A crown prosecutor and a defence lawyer say they will be presenting a joint statement of facts at the next hearing.

According to statements made by the crown during preliminary hearings, two psychiatrists who examined Ny-St-Amand have concluded he should not be held criminally responsible because he has a mental disorder.

In addition to a recounting of the facts, the hearing on April 7 is also expected to include testimony from both psychiatrists.

Man dies after being crushed by truck at Laval recycling plant

A 58-year-old man was declared dead at a recycling facility in Laval’s Saint-François district recently after he was crushed by a truck.

The Laval Police responded to the scene at AIM Recycling around 6 am Sunday morning.

As the police could find no evidence of any criminal act, they immediately transferred the case to the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), Quebec’s worker health and safety agency.

Two CNESST investigators, assisted by officers with the Laval Police, were reported to have visited the site and were there to interview witnesses over the following days.

Recent LFD fire calls

A mechanical or electrical failure is being blamed for a fire that broke out in a home on Riviera St. in Laval-Ouest last month, forcing four occupants to seek shelter elsewhere for the the being.

Just after 8 pm on February 21, a call was received at 9-1-1 that the dwelling near the corner of 24^th and 30^th streets on the edge of the Mille-Îles River was ablaze.

In spite of the firefighters’ efforts to contain the blaze, damage was estimated at $200,000 by the time it was put out, with an additional $100,000 in damages to interior furnishings and property.

An overheated electronic battery pack was identified by investigators with the Laval Fire Dept. as the probable source of a fire that damaged a house and three cars, including at least one which was a collector’s item, on Mille-Îles Blvd. at the east end of Saint-François on February 24.

LFD firefighters arriving on the scene around 9:50 am immediately spotted flames shooting out of the garage where the three vehicles were parked.

The crew was able to keep the flames from spreading from the garage to the house and they had things under control within less than an hour.

Structural damage to the house were estimated at $70,000, with an additional $100,000 for damaged interior furnishings and property losses.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Accident investigators with the Laval Police were trying to piece together the circumstances following a serious car accident overnight last Saturday when the driver of a Mercedes SUV lost control while travelling at high speed along Notre Dame Blvd. near 101^st Ave. in Chomedey.

The accident, which left the Mercedes in the middle of Notre Dame toppled on its side, also left behind a field of debris, possibly the result of striking several parked cars at high speed.

According to a resident who was on the scene several hours later, part of Notre Dame was closed during part of the day Saturday as investigators analyzed the situation before filing an accident report.

“One car was hit so badly that it was moved from its parking spot on the street and was shoved into the parking driveway of a private house,” said the resident.

House fire leaves four homeless in St-Vincent-de-Paul

A fire on the morning of November 27 at a residence on Alfred-Laliberté St. in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul left four persons temporarily homeless while causing an estimated $250,000 in damage.

Overheated electric wiring within the walls is believed to have been the cause of the blaze which started just before 8 am.

Firefighters were on scene at the home near Laval’s Centre de la nature. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the sight of thick smoke pouring from a sloping mansard roof.

Following a damage inspection later, they concluded that a smoke detector was in place, although it didn’t go off after the blaze started.

In all, the firefighters had to sound a second alarm to call for reinforcements. They had the outbreak under control by around 10:40 that morning.

Damages were estimated at $200,000 for the building, along with $50,000 for its contents.

Laval Police investigating Ste-Dorothée car torching

The Laval Fire Dept. has turned over a file of information regarding a suspected case of arson involving a residence and four vehicles in Sainte-Dorothée to the Laval Police for criminal investigation.

The incident around 3:30 am on Nov. 21 at the home on Bord-de-l’Eau Rd. near Fabert and Larivière streets caused extensive damage to the four vehicles, as well more limited damage to the dwelling.

While just one vehicle was initially on fire, it soon spread to the three others and eventually also to the dwelling. Damage was initially estimated at $50,000 for the house and $1,500 for its contents.

As investigators with the Laval Fire Dept. found evidence of arson on the scene, they transferred responsibility for a criminal investigation to the Laval Police Dept.

Vimont children’s daycare workers face charges of assault

The Laval Police say they have arrested two workers at a daycare centre on des Laurentides Blvd. in Vimont, who face allegations that they assaulted children less than five years old.

The two accused, ages 54 and 60 respectively, were until recently employees at the Garderie Paradis des Laurentides. A summary of the accusations filed by the LPD maintains the assaults happened this past September and October. The LPD said an arrest warrant was also issued for a third suspect to face similar charges.