Latest news with #LindseyHoughton
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Cops rush into burning Surrey home to rescue seniors, arson suspected
A pair of Surrey police officers had to break their way into a flaming home to save a pair of senior residents from what investigators believe was a suspicious fire early Wednesday morning. The officers arrived at the home on 135 Street and 64 Avenue around 1:45 a.m. to find two vehicles fully engulfed and the front of the home burning 'vigorously,' Surrey Police Service Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told Global News. 2:04 Suspicious fire at South Surrey restaurant After evacuating six residents from a basement suite, officers learned there were still two seniors upstairs. Story continues below advertisement Houghton said they had to smash their way through a glass panel on the back door and crawl in to gain entry. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'They described seeing flames through the front of the house, that orange glow, and you could hear the fire, and literally ran through the home looking room to room.' Houghton said Surrey Fire Service told them that a minute later, the 'home would have been fully engulfed.' Police were able to escort one resident out but had to carry the other to safety. Eight people were evacuated from the home in total. All of them were treated for smoke inhalation, but no one suffered serious injuries. 2:12 Fire breaks out at Guildford strip mall in Surrey Houghton said police are investigating the fire as a potential targeted arson. Story continues below advertisement He said two people, possibly men, were seen out front of the house shortly before the vehicles burst into flame. Two dark sedans were also seen leaving the area around the time of the fire. Investigators want to speak with anyone who witnessed the fire or has video shot in the area around 1:45 a.m. In the meantime, Houghton is praising the officers for their bravery. 'Had the fire been hotter and bigger, officers could be seriously injured or worse,' he said. 'I can tell you it is harrowing … as soon as you can find out there are potentially people inside, your instincts kick in. There is really no training they give us, we have no fire protective gear, you have to rush in, and the protection of life becomes the primary goal.'
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Project Rogue Racers: Surrey police target street-racing gatherings
In a crackdown after complaints from businesses and residents, police broke up two large street-racer gatherings in southeast Surrey last Friday night. Surrey police officers launched Project Rogue Racers after the complaints to target unsanctioned and illegal street racing and stunting events. Last weekend was the second in the enforcement campaign. Officers from the Surrey Police Service, the integrated road safety unit and Surrey bylaw enforcement went to the 2800-block of 192nd Street, where dozens of vehicles and over 300 spectators had gathered for illegal races, said SPS Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton in a news release Tuesday. After that group was dispersed, officers moved to the Port Kells neighbourhood near the Surrey-Langley border, where 40 racers and about 200 spectators were gathered. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. By the end of the night, police had written nearly 100 tickets for a variety of offences and impounded five vehicles for excessive speeding, stunting and impaired driving. A dozen notices for illegal vehicle modifications were issued and two people got immediate roadside suspensions for impaired driving. Among the infractions that led to seven-day impoundments were two vehicles caught on radar going 167 km/h and 171 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. 'Illegal street racing and stunting is extremely dangerous and puts drivers, spectators and other motorists at significant risk of injury,' said Houghton. 'The potential for something to go wrong at such high speeds leaves no margin for error and it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed. 'The irony is that there are places to legally race that cost a fraction of the fines that these drivers will get if they're caught by police, and that does not include the lifetime of costs associated with being in a collision and hurting yourself or someone else.' The road-racer enforcement project will continue throughout the year, said Houghton. Police in Richmond are urging drivers to slow down after officers impounded six cars for excessive speed in just 90 minutes on the weekend. Early Saturday, the Richmond RCMP road safety unit seized six cars over an hour-and-a-half for going at least 50 km/h over the speed limit. The fastest was travelling 182 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, and two of the drivers had had their cars impounded for a similar offence in the past two years. One driver was caught going 138 km/h in an 80 km/h zone while driving his eight-year-old son to hockey. The young passenger was in the front seat with his seatbelt behind his back and not in a booster as required by law. 'Drivers engaging in this type of behaviour are putting not only themselves but every road-user at risk,' said RCMP Const. Frank Tarape of the road safety unit. 'These speeds are a guaranteed life-altering or life-ending situation if a collision were to occur.' As the first day of summer approaches and vacation and day trip travel picks up, the B.C. RCMP highway patrol says it is launching its seasonal impaired driving campaign. Inevitably, some people will choose to drive impaired, but Supt. Mike Coyle says patrol officers will aim to bring that number closer to zero. 'Summer vacations and road trips cannot include drugs and alcohol behind the wheel,' said Coyle. 'No matter whether you're going to a music festival, a wine tour or the family camping trip, plan ahead so that you drive sober and attentive. Don't start celebrating too early.' Police checkpoints will pick up in the weeks ahead, especially on long weekends and during big events. Here are some tips on a safe and enjoyable drive: • Leave more time than you think you need to get to your destination. • Slow down, and practice being 20 per cent more patient while driving. • Plan for breaks to relax while avoiding alcohol and drugs. • If you're going to an event where there will be alcohol and drugs, have a plan for getting there and back safely, whether a designated driver, taxi, ride-hailing service or transit. • Avoid late night or early morning driving over long distances, especially through area you're not familiar with. 'Impaired driving is completely preventable,' said Coyle. 'Act responsibly behind the wheel. And if you do see a problem, including a suspected impaired driver, call police right away.' Three intoxicated teens were arrested Monday afternoon after causing a ruckus in Port Moody. Shortly before 5 p.m., an officer spotted a drunk teenage boy who had parked his car in the middle of Suter Brook Village, blocking traffic. 'The boy then entered a nearby delivery truck and attempted to drive it away, but was stopped by the delivery driver,' said Const. Sam Zacharias, a spokesperson for the Port Moody Police Department. 'The boy and his two female companions — who were also intoxicated — were eventually taken into police custody for breaching the peace,' said Zacharias. During the chaos one of the teens damaged a police vehicle and another is alleged to have obstructed an officer. They were all released to their guardians but the teen boy is facing a driving prohibition and the vehicle was impounded for impaired driving. 'The youths were coming from Sasamat Lake, which has seen an uptick in calls for service over the past week,' said Zacharias. jruttle@
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Project Rogue Racers: Surrey police target street racing gatherings
In a crackdown after complaints from businesses and residents, police broke up two large street racer gatherings in southeast Surrey last Friday night. Surrey police officers launched Project Rogue Racers after the complaints to target unsanctioned and illegal street racing and stunting events. Last weekend was the second in the enforcement campaign. Officers from the Surrey Police Service, the integrated road safety unit and Surrey bylaw enforcement went to the 2800-block of 192nd Street, where dozens of vehicles and over 300 spectators had gathered for illegal races, said SPS Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton in a news release Tuesday. After that group was dispersed, officers moved to the Port Kells neighbourhood near the Surrey-Langley border, where 40 racers and about 200 spectators were gathered. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. By the end of the night, police had written nearly 100 tickets for a variety of offences and impounded five vehicles for excessive speeding, stunting and impaired driving. A dozen notices for illegal vehicle modifications were issued and two people got immediate roadside suspensions for impaired driving. Among the infractions that led to seven-day impoundments were two vehicles caught on radar going 167 and 171 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. 'Illegal street racing and stunting is extremely dangerous and puts drivers, spectators and other motorists at significant risk of injury,' said Houghton. 'The potential for something to go wrong at such high speeds leaves no margin for error and it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed. 'The irony is that there are places to legally race that cost a fraction of the fines that these drivers will get if they're caught by police, and that does not include the lifetime of costs associated with being in a collision and hurting yourself or someone else.' The road racer enforcement project will continue throughout the year, said Houghton. Police in Richmond are urging drivers to slow down after officers impounded six cars for excessive speed in just 90 minutes on the weekend. Early Saturday, the Richmond RCMP road safety unit seized six cars over an hour and a half for going at least 50 km/h over the speed limit. The fastest was travelling 182 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, and two of the drivers had had their cars impounded for a similar offence in the past two years. One driver was caught going 138 km/h in an 80 km/h zone while driving his eight-year-old son to hockey. The young passenger was in the front seat with his seatbelt behind his back and not in a booster as required by law. 'Drivers engaging in this type of behaviour are putting not only themselves but every road user at risk,' said RCMP Const. Frank Tarape of the road safety unit. 'These speeds are a guaranteed life-altering or life-ending situation if a collision were to occur.' Three intoxicated teens were arrested Monday afternoon after causing a ruckus in Port Moody. Shortly before 5 p.m., an officer spotted a drunk teenage boy who had parked his car in the middle of Suter Brook Village, blocking traffic. 'The boy then entered a nearby delivery truck and attempted to drive it away, but was stopped by the delivery driver,' said Const. Sam Zacharias, a spokesperson for the Port Moody Police Department. 'The boy and his two female companions — who were also intoxicated — were eventually taken into police custody for breaching the peace,' said Zacharias. During the chaos one of the teens damaged a police vehicle and another is alleged to have obstructed an officer. They were all released to their guardians but the teen boy is facing a driving prohibition and the vehicle was impounded for impaired driving. 'The youths were coming from Sasamat Lake, which has seen an uptick in calls for service over the past week,' said Zacharias. jruttle@
Vancouver Sun
03-06-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
Police confirm shots fired at house in Surrey linked to extortion
The owner of a mansion that was shot at twice in under two weeks in Surrey's Panorama Ridge neighbourhood was being targeted by extortionists, Surrey police have confirmed. 'SPS investigators now believe that the two shots fired at the incidents at the residence is extortion-related and can confirm that the SPS is leading the investigation into that,' Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton of Surrey Police Services said in an email. No one was injured in either shooting but at least two bullet holes about 10 mm in diameter were left in the wrought iron fence in front of the beige stucco home. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Despite police installing a tower with surveillance cameras and occasionally parking an unmanned marked police SUV in front of the house on the 12000 block of Coulthard Road, the shootings have left some residents in the neighbourhood feeling unsafe to go for a walk in the normally quiet neighourhood. Police set up the cameras after the first shooting, which happened on May 14 at 3 a.m., he said. The second shooting was 12 days later, on May 26, also at 3 a.m. 'Police have not identified any suspects and the investigation is active and ongoing,' he said. Houghton said police wouldn't release further details 'because that forms part of the investigation and would reveal evidence, which, for obvious reasons, we cannot do.' Neither would he say whether the surveillance cameras captured anything useful to police or who police believe may be behind the extortion attempt. He said publicizing those details could jeopardize the investigation. He said Surrey's investigative services bureau 'speaks with counterparts across the country, including in Edmonton and Peel Regional Police (near Toronto), both of whom have experienced a number of extortion-related files in recent years.' The Surrey force didn't immediately have any data about the number of extortion-related cases it is investigating or has recommended charges for in recent years, he said. The surveillance cameras, but not the unmanned SUV, were in front of the house when the second shooting happened but police didn't receive a call about it until 8:30 a.m. that day, five hours after it happened, Houghton said after the second shooting. He also said then the owner of the house has no connection to any crimes and police believe the incident was targeted and not random. Police in both Edmonton and Peel Region have been investigating extortion attempts targeting South Asian Canadian business owners. A former B.C. solicitor general, Kash Heed, said last year that South Asian business owners in the Lower Mainland have paid millions of dollars to extortionists threatening violence, according to B.C.'s former solicitor general. Heed said one Surrey extortion victim he's aware of received daily threatening calls, with verbal and text messages becoming increasingly detailed, referencing his family members locally and in India. 'He was being sent graphic pictures of what would happen to his grandchildren and kids if he didn't pay. Frustrated by the lack of police assistance, he transferred more than $3 million to bank accounts in India.' In the latest Surrey case, Houghton confirmed the surveillance camera was on and recording at the time of the Sunday shooting and says it is 'quite obvious and overt' and is meant as a deterrent. 'I can't speak for someone who might not realize it's a camera trailer or not assume it's on. Most people would think it's on, as it is,' he said. Surrey police works with a provincial joint forces operation formed to investigate extortion attempts, various RCMP units and the anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C., he said. Messages left at the business owner's office and on his son's cellphone were not returned. With files from Sarah Grochowski, Postmedia News
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Yahoo
Police investigate assault with 'edged weapon' in Surrey, B.C. park
The Surrey Police Service says a man was attacked with a weapon at Holland Park on Saturday evening, and they are seeking public help in finding the suspect. Police said that they responded to calls of an assault at the park, near around 6:45 p.m. PT on Saturday, in which a man sustained minor injuries. They say the man who had been attacked in Holland Park made his way to a business next to the King George SkyTrain station. He was subsequently taken to hospital, where he spent over an hour before being discharged. "They were bleeding quite heavily from what we believe was an assault with an edged weapon," said Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton in an interview with CBC News. The Surrey Police Service is investigating an alleged attack in Holland Park. (Shane MacKichan) Houghton said the suspect in the attack — which is believed to be targeted and not random in nature — is described as a clean-shaven, Black man in his 30s, with a slim build and wearing a dark-coloured hoodie and pants. The police haven't recovered the weapon used in the assault at this point, he said. "We have a lot of police officers from SPS that are working in the Whalley, city centre, Holland Park area," Houghton said. "Our response time was very quick to this, but we know it's still unsettling for people to see not just an assault take place, if anyone did see it, or seeing the victim of an assault." Houghton is asking anyone with more information on the attack to contact police.
