Halton police charged seven individuals wanted in connection with various crimes committed in Oakville during a targeted sweep across the town this week.
Between March 10 and 12, members of the Halton Regional Police Service 2 District Strategic Support Team, in conjunction with the 2 District Offender Manager, sought out people in the Oakville area who were the subjects of outstanding arrest warrants.
Over the course of the initiative, police executed three Criminal Code warrants, arrested eight people and charged seven with a total of 18 criminal offences.
“A lot of times what happens is people don’t update their addresses, they don’t update their driver’s licences and when they know they are wanted by the police they kind of go off the grid,” said Det. Sgt. Julie Craddock-Bijl from the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau.
“A lot of times it is difficult to find them. Sometimes we get lucky where they may have provided an old address before, but they will renew a driver’s licence six months later and then they kind of come back on our radar.”
Craddock-Bijl said these kinds of round ups take place once or twice a year in Oakville.
Other times, she said, officers come across people they are looking for during the course of their regular duties.
“Sometimes we get them at traffic stops. Sometimes they report a crime and we find they have an outstanding warrant,” said Craddock-Bijl.
“Other times they get arrested for something else and there is a warrant on our system so it gets dealt with at that time.”
The individuals arrested in this week’s sweep include:
• Frances Bowles, 48, of Oakville charged with assault, mischief under $5,000 and failing to appear in court. She is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on March 28.
• Dustin Zita, 23, of Oakville charged with being unlawfully at large, obstructing police and four counts of breaching probation. Police said Zita has pled guilty to these charges and is currently being held in custody.
• Natalie Watson, 19, of Oakville charged with obstructing police. She is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on April 14.
• Alan Forrest, 51, of Mississauga charged with failing to appear for court, failing to appear to have his fingerprints taken, two counts of theft under $5,000 and breach of probation. He was scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on March 13.
• Justin Howitt, 27, of Oakville charged with theft under $5,000 and failing to appear for court. He is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on April 15.
• Christopher Telford, 28, of Mississauga charged with breaching probation and failing to appear for court. He is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on March 25.
• Mary Whalen, 54, of Oakville charged with breaching probation. She was scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton on March 13.
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting ‘Tip201’ with the message to 274637.
