Latest news with #NiagaraRegionalPolice
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Toronto Sun
MANDEL: Is accused serial killer now fit to stand trial?
A forensic psychiatrist testified Sabrina Kauldhar has 'no psychotic symptoms to impact her being meaningfully present at her trial' Get the latest from Michele Mandel straight to your inbox Sabrina Kauldhar was arrested Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in the Burlington area. She has been charged with murder in connection with separate slayings in Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara Falls. Photo by Handout / Niagara Regional Police The woman accused of the shocking murders of three people over three days last fall has improved after receiving medication for her schizophrenia – and she could finally be scheduled to stand trial for murder. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But the lawyer for Sabrina Kauldhar insists she still doesn't understand the charges against her. It's clear she understands this much – a mental hospital is certainly much nicer that jail. Kauldhar begged the Crown psychiatrist to send her back for treatment rather than returning her to prison where she claimed she's not safe. Often standing to pace in the small prisoner's box, Kauldhar wore a lime green sweatshirt and black head scarf as lawyers and a judge in the downtown mental health court discussed her future on Friday. Kauldhar was arrested in October 2024 and charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder involving three slayings that took place over three consecutive days in Toronto, Niagara Falls and Hamilton. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In March, an Ontario court ruled the unresponsive accused killer was unfit to stand trial and ordered her to undergo 60 days of psychiatric treatment. Released from CAMH and returned to prison on May 30, she was now back in court for her second fitness hearing and this time, Crown attorney Joanne Capozzi argued that she's improved enough to go to trial. Dr. Amina Ali told Justice Russell Silverstein that Kauldhar has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in the past and was hospitalized as recently as February 2022 at Credit Valley hospital. While under the treatment order at CAMH, she was given two anti-psychotic medications and is no longer showing any outward symptoms of her mental illness – she isn't hearing voices or having delusions or hallucinations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More The forensic psychiatrist testified that where Kauldhar used to remain mute, she now engages with staff members, especially when she wants something. During her stay, Ali said, she assaulted a patient and a worker but was released after 15 days of seclusion after she responded to a staff question and said she didn't want to hurt anyone. At their meeting just before the hearing Friday, Ali said Kauldhar recognized her and responded to her questions at first. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'And then she stated that 'I need to come back to treatment. Can you say I'm unfit? I can't be at jail. I feel unsafe. Will you tell them?'' Ali said Kauldhar knew her charges were 'homicide' and she had a choice to plead guilty or not guilty. When the psychiatrist tried to ask more, she said Kauldhar announced the conversation was over. 'I think at this point, she is choosing not to engage in some questions that are part of this process,' Ali said. 'There are no psychotic symptoms to impact her being meaningfully present at her trial.' Defence lawyer Rick Frank said Kauldhar doesn't have 'a reality-based understanding' that she faces three separate murder charges in three different jurisdictions and as recently as that morning, she either didn't answer questions or her speech was unintelligible. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Ms. Kauldhar cannot be meaningfully present and cannot meaningfully participate,' Frank insisted. Sabrina Kauldhar is accused of killing three people on three consecutive days in Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara Falls. Photo by Handout / Niagara Regional Police The judge pushed back, saying the psychiatrist has found she's improved and is able to understand what she's facing. 'I'm telling Your Honour … I'm not able to get meaningful instructions,' the lawyer said. Silverstein suggested that according to the psychiatrist, his difficult client is making a conscious choice not to answer certain questions. And Kauldhar may be as wily as a fox. 'I think implicit in the doctor's evidence is that Ms. Kauldhar is angling to be found unfit so as to be taken out of jail and put in hospital, which is where she'd rather be,' the judge said. 'It demonstrates some sophisticated, purposeful behaviour on her part.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The killing spree allegedly began Oct. 1, when Toronto Police were called to a basement apartment in the Junction and found the body of Kauldhar's roommate, 66-year-old Trinh Thi Vu. Police believe the next two victims were strangers to their alleged killer: Chef Lance Cunningham, 47, had gone to walk his dogs at a Niagara Falls park before picking his daughter up from school when he was killed. The following day, Mario Bilich, a 77-year-old retired teacher, was slain in the Hamilton parking lot of his Sicilian social club. Kauldhar is charged with first-degree murder in Bilich's death and second-degree murder in the Toronto and Niagara investigations. Will she stand trial? The judge has reserved his decision to next week. mmandel@ Olympics NHL Toronto & GTA Columnists Editorial Cartoons
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Officer shoots at 2 dogs ‘aggressively mauling' bystander in Niagara Falls: police
Niagara Regional Police Service says an officer shot at two Rottweiler dogs that were 'aggressively mauling' a man on Thursday afternoon. Officers were called to the area of Lundy's Lane and Drummond Road just before 3 p.m. Police said they received reports that two unleashed Rottweiler dogs that were running loose without an owner had attacked and killed a smaller dog, as well as bitten a bystander. As the officers were on their way to the scene, police said they were informed that the dogs were 'actively attacking' another person. 'Upon arrival, officers observed the two Rottweilers aggressively mauling a lone male bystander,' police said in a news release on Friday. 'Fearing for the safety of the individual and to prevent a further escalation of aggression toward other members of the public, the officer intervened and discharged their firearm, stopping the attack.' Police said the dogs were removed by the Humane Society while the two victims were treated by paramedics. There is no word on the condition of the two dogs and if the owner has been located. The investigation is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1022206.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Toronto teen charged for Grimsby jewelry store robbery
A 16-year-old from Toronto has been arrested for his alleged role in a daylight robbery at a Grimsby jewelry store early this year. On Jan. 18 at 3:50 p.m., six people with small sledgehammers smashed the front entrance to Harmony Jewellers and entered the store, Niagara Regional Police said. They then broke into several display cases and snatched merchandise. During a later downtown business gathering, store owner Kevin Luttjehuizen said the ordeal lasted all of 40 seconds, but left much of his staff traumatized. 'It felt like an eternity because you just wanted them to get out,' he said at the Feb. 11 event. Police said the suspects quickly left the store at 37 Main St. W., and fled in a vehicle toward Mountain Street. About a half-hour later, police in Hamilton found the truck used as a getaway vehicle abandoned in the area of Nugent Drive and Nash Road. On Thursday, police said a 16-year-old male from Toronto has been identified as one of the suspects. He has been charged with robbery, possessing more than $5,000 worth of property obtained by crime and for wearing a disguise with intent to commit a crime. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked by police to call 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009341. Information can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or going to . The same store was hit twice more in the following months. On Feb. 15, three people, estimated to be aged 16 to 18, entered the store wearing masks and carrying backpacks. Their suspicious activity prompted store employees to implement theft prevention measures. Police said the measures stopped the suspects from entering any further and they left the store with no items stolen. And on April 24, the tactics used to rob the store escalated from using sledgehammers, as suspects reversed a black pickup truck through the front window. Thanks to increased security measures, including smash-proof display cases, the five masked robbers fled empty-handed. The store closed for more than a week following that incident, reopening May 5, with an armed guard greeting customers and concrete barriers doubling as flower planters installed by the Town of Grimsby out front. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Boy, 16, accused of robbing Grimsby jewelry store
A 16-year-old boy is accused of robbing a jewelry store in Grimsby earlier this year. Niagara Regional Police say detectives have been actively investigating the incident that occurred at Harmony Jewellers on the afternoon of Jan. 18. Back in January, police said the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in this incident – a black Ford F150 Lariat pickup truck – was located a short time later by Hamilton Police in the area of Nugent Dr. and Nash Rd. N. Following an investigation, cops said a suspect was identified, located and arrested. Grimsby man accused of using fear in trafficking women throughout Ontario York cop accuses driver of speeding while picking up a screwdriver CRIME SCENE: Milton man, previously charged with sex assault, now faces new charges Police charged the Toronto teen with robbery, disguise with intent, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to attend a bail hearing in St. Catharines on Friday. This is not the first time that jewelry store has been targeted by thieves. In a social media post, Conservative MP Dean Allison, who represents Niagara West, pointed out during the runup to the 2025 federal election that Harmony Jewellers, which was next to his campaign office, was the site of three robbery attempts over the last few months. The investigation remains ongoing, cops said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009341.
Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Boy, 16, accused of robbing Grimsby jewelry store
Police say this vehicle was used during a robbery of a jewelry story in Grimsby on Jan. 18, 2025. A Toronto teen has since been arrested and charged. Photo by Handout / Niagara Regional Police A 16-year-old boy is accused of robbing a jewelry store in Grimsby earlier this year. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Niagara Regional Police say detectives have been actively investigating the incident that occurred at Harmony Jewellers on the afternoon of Jan. 18. Back in January, police said the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in this incident – a black Ford F150 Lariat pickup truck – was located a short time later by Hamilton Police in the area of Nugent Dr. and Nash Rd. N. Following an investigation, cops said a suspect was identified, located and arrested. Read More Police charged the Toronto teen with robbery, disguise with intent, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to attend a bail hearing in St. Catharines on Friday. This is not the first time that jewelry store has been targeted by thieves. In a social media post, Conservative MP Dean Allison, who represents Niagara West, pointed out during the runup to the 2025 federal election that Harmony Jewellers, which was next to his campaign office, was the site of three robbery attempts over the last few months. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. ROBBERY ATTEMPT next to my campaign office in GRIMSBY ! Took place at Harmony Jewellers — 3rd time in just a few months !I brought up the 2 previous attempts during my debate last week so folks know how bad things are getting under the Liberals This is Canada after 10 years… — Dean Allison (@DeanAllisonMP) April 24, 2025 The investigation remains ongoing, cops said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009341. RECOMMENDED VIDEO World Columnists Olympics Columnists Ontario
