Article content material
A 39-year-old man is accused of damaging greater than two dozen gasoline meters downtown this weekend.
Whereas police haven’t charged him in connection to the hearth at a twelfth Avenue heritage constructing, he was allegedly noticed slicing a gasoline line close by whereas crews fought the blaze a pair hours later.
Article content material
“At this stage the investigation into the business constructing fireplace is ongoing,” the Regina Police Service (RPS) mentioned in a media launch issued Monday afternoon.
Article content material
Shelly Bart, property supervisor for 2184 twelfth Ave., mentioned Sunday that she was suggested by the on-scene inspector it was not a gasoline explosion, however no additional particulars have been shared.
In keeping with police, a Regina Hearth investigator was attending to the hearth Sunday morning when he noticed a person slicing a gasoline line close to Scarth Avenue and tried to cease him. This was at about 7:40 a.m., two hours after the hearth was first reported.
“At this level, the suspect male threatened him with a bladed weapon and fled the scene,” police mentioned.
As officers responded to the realm, one other caller reported seeing a person slicing gasoline strains downtown. That particular person, too, was allegedly threatened with a blade.
The suspect was positioned and arrested on the nook of eleventh Avenue and Hamilton Avenue about 5 minutes later and police mentioned the bladed weapon was recovered close by.
The primary experiences of broken gasoline meters got here into police about 11 p.m. Saturday when the Regina Hearth Division reached out a couple of potential gasoline leak at a enterprise on the 1900 block of Victoria Avenue and a male was noticed operating from a gasoline meter. The caller reported listening to a “high-pressure launch sound.”
Article content material
Police offered visitors management whereas the leak was investigated and repaired.
About seven minutes later, an worker of a enterprise on the 2100 block of Victoria Avenue additionally referred to as to report the odor of pure gasoline within the space.
“Shortly after, a broken gasoline meter was positioned on the 2000 block of Cornwall Avenue,” police mentioned.
“Over the subsequent a number of hours, a number of experiences of gasoline leaks at completely different meters had been acquired. Police and restore crews attended.”
4 extra had been positioned, leading to a complete of 26 broken gasoline meters. Police mentioned all meters have since been repaired.
Police additionally imagine the person is accountable for two acts of downtown graffiti Saturday evening.
The 39-year-old man, who made his first look in Regina provincial court docket Monday morning, faces 25 counts of mischief below $5,000, three counts of mischief over $5,000, two counts of assault with a weapon and one cost of endangering public lives.
