Latest news with #BillDickson
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
3rd pizzeria fire of the summer in Hawkesbury
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have opened an arson investigation into a third pizzeria fire in just over a month in Hawkesbury, Ont. The first two happened early June 30 at the Pizza Pizza and Salvatoré, about 400 metres apart on Main Street E. in the town near the Quebec border. Both were closed at the time, and there were no injuries. There was another fire late Monday night at Pizza Mike Express on James Street, about 100 metres south of the Pizza Pizza. OPP said in a news release Wednesday that witnesses reported seeing two tall, thin men in black sweaters start the fire and walk away. "There is no chance this is an accidental fire," said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson in an interview with Radio-Canada on Thursday. Police can't say the three fires are connected based on their investigations so far, he said, nor have they confirmed a motive.
CBC
07-08-2025
- CBC
3rd pizzeria fire of the summer in Hawkesbury
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have opened an arson investigation into a third pizzeria fire in just over a month in Hawkesbury, Ont. The first two happened early June 30 at the Pizza Pizza and Salvatoré, about 400 metres apart on Main Street E. in the town near the Quebec border. Both were closed at the time, and there were no injuries. There was another fire late Monday night at Pizza Mike Express on James Street, about 100 metres south of the Pizza Pizza. OPP said in a news release Wednesday that witnesses reported seeing two tall, thin men in black sweaters start the fire and walk away. "There is no chance this is an accidental fire," said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson in an interview with Radio-Canada on Thursday. Police can't say the three fires are connected based on their investigations so far, he said, nor have they confirmed a motive.
India Today
17-07-2025
- India Today
Ontario town in shock after teen charged in attack on 8-year-old girl
A rural community in Canada's southern Ontario is in shock after police revealed that the brutal assault of an eight-year-old girl, originally thought to be an animal attack, was allegedly carried out by a 17-year-old boy now charged with attempted murder and sexual assault with a incident took place in Quadeville, a small town of just a few hundred people. The girl was reported missing on June 23 after last being seen around 6 pm near a local grocery store. She was discovered with severe injuries in a wooded area around 12:30 am the following morning and was rushed to a children's hospital in Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) told the community to keep their children indoors, warning of a potential animal threat. However, on June 25, authorities said they believed the injuries were from an animal attack but needed further investigation. Last week, that narrative shifted dramatically. Police arrested a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named under Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act, and charged him with attempted murder and sexual assault with a spokesperson Bill Dickson said the nature of the injuries initially led officers to suspect an animal, but investigators had also been exploring other possibilities from the start. 'You can't go into an investigation like this with tunnel vision,' he said, declining to provide specifics due to the ongoing court suspect and the victim's families are known to each other, further unsettling the close-knit community. Residents have raised concerns about the police response, including why the search for the missing girl didn't begin until 9 pm the day she disappeared. During a town hall on 12 July, acting OPP Chief Superintendent Derek Needham said specialized resources took time to arrive, but one parent responded: 'That's not good enough.'The local Pentecostal church has launched a fundraiser to support the victim's family. Pastor Joseph Fiorentino said the young girl is showing signs of recovery, though her healing journey will be long.- EndsMust Watch
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- The Guardian
Small Canadian town reels after teen boy allegedly assaults eight-year-old girl
A small rural community in Canada is reeling after police said the horrific attack of an eight-year-old girl was not caused by an animal, as they had suspected, but allegedly by a teenage boy who they have now charged with attempted murder. The residents of Quadeville, a town of a few hundred people in southern Ontario, are questioning local law enforcement's handling of the case after officials initially told them to keep their children indoors to protect them against a possible offending animal. The girl was first reported missing on 23 June, with the Ontario provincial police (OPP) saying she was last seen around 6pm at a local grocery store wearing a T-shirt and shorts. She was found with serious injuries later that night, around 12.30am, in a clearing in a wooded area of the community, and taken to a children's hospital in nearby Ottawa. On 25 June, police investigators announced that they suspected she had been hurt in an animal attack but that further testing was needed. Last week they said they had, in fact, arrested and charged a 17-year-old boy with sexual assault with a weapon and attempted murder. As a minor he cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The OPP's Bill Dickson said officers at first believed the girl was attacked by an animal due to the nature of her injuries, but that he could not comment on them in detail. 'While we proceeded looking at this as a suspected animal attack, the investigation also continued to look at other aspects,' Dickson said. 'You can't go into an investigation like this with tunnel vision.' He added that police could not comment on what led them to arrest the teenager, as the case is before the courts. The allegations have rocked the one-intersection community, whose close-knit nature is illustrated by the fact that the victim's family and the suspect's family know each other, Dickson said. After the attack, police held a town hall on 12 July to address swirling questions, including why it took them until 9pm on the day the girl went missing to begin searching. 'It does take time to get some of the specialized services here,' Derek Needham, acting chief superintendent with the OPP, told residents, according to the CBC, though a resident responded: 'As a parent, that's not good enough … you guys should be there when the call is put out.' The local Pentecostal church has led a fundraiser for the family, with the pastor, Joseph Fiorentino, stating that the girl 'is showing signs of improvement', adding: 'Her recovery is hopeful, but the road will be long.'
CTV News
12-07-2025
- CTV News
OPP to hold town hall for Quadeville, Ont. residents after attack on young girl
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be holding a town hall Saturday afternoon in Quadeville, Ont. to 'address questions and concerns' from residents about the attack of an eight-year-old girl initially believed to be caused by an animal. The town hall is being held at the Quadeville Community Centre at 965 Addington Rd. at 5 p.m. Police say they are hoping to offer clarity and transparency for residents as an investigation into the case continues. 'We want to hear their concerns. We want to explain to them why we did what we did, to the level that we can. We know that this has been a horrible experience for the entire community, not just for this young girl and her family but for everyone there. It's a tight-knit community,' OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal on Thursday. On Wednesday, OPP arrested a 17-year-old boy and charged him with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon on a person under 16 years old. A young girl was reported missing on Monday, June 23 in Quadeville, approximately 160 kilometres west of Ottawa. The OPP Canine Unit located the girl just before 12:30 a.m. June 24 with life-threatening injuries along Quadeville Road. Police said investigators suspected the girl was injured in an animal attack, but added, 'further testing and analysis is required.' On Wednesday, police said that samples taken from the victim's wounds 'revealed no traces of animal DNA.' Officials had asked residents to keep children indoors or under close supervision as police worked to determine the cause of her injuries. The girl remains in hospital. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle This story will be updated
