Several arrests during the Ormstown Fair

Over the course of June 12-13 weekend, Ormstown Fair had to deal with its own share of criminal events and the police were obliged to arrest half a dozen individuals.

A number of offences involving vehicles, a major theft of stuffed animals, a seizure of illegal drugs and some cases of impaired driving were reported during the 102nd edition of this event which attracted some 15 000 visitors.

During the night of Sunday, June 12 around 3:30 a.m., two individuals were caught while trying to break into a vehicle by the owner of the vehicle which was parked on the fair grounds. The owner recognized the two, who escaped . The Sûreté du Québec was informed of the attempted burglary.

In the mean time, police at the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent Station received a call from a security guard working at the Ormstown Fair about two young men who had stolen some stuffed animals from a booth on the fair grounds. Thanks to the description provided earlier by the owner of the vehicle, the police were able to intercept the 18 and 19 year old suspects.

The two individuals from Sainte-Martine and Huntingdon respectively were arrested. One of the suspects was in possession of 15 grams of cannabis. Known to the police, the two young men will have to appear in  criminal court at a later date to face a variety of charges. Some 15 stuffed animals about a meter in size and worth approximately $400  were recovered.

During the evening of Friday, June 11, a car was broken into that was parked on the Ormstown Fair grounds. Electronic devices (tablets and other items) as well as a purse were stolen, altogether amounting to a loss of approximately $4 000. With a search warrant in hand, the police investigated a residence on Isabelle St. where they were able to track down the missing items.

An underaged youth was charged with the theft. Although living with his parents, the suspect was not at home at the time of the search and was taken to the police station the following morning. The police will submit the file to the Crown Prosecutor in preparation for an appearance in Youth Court.

There were also three arrests for impaired driving in the area surrounding the Fair. During the evening of June 10, a 42 year old resident of Elgin failed a breathalyser test which showed that his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. Around 2:50  a.m. during the night of June 11,  a 29 year old driver was stopped by the police on rue Arthur. Found to be inebriated, she lost her driver's permit and her vehicle was seized. On Sunday, June 12 at 1:30 a.m. a breathalyser test from a 33 year old resident of Chateauguay indicated a level above the legal limit. The man was apprehended by the police on Châteauguay St. in Ormstown.

Translated by Cathleen Johnston