Media Releases

EPS officer charged

18 Jul 2019 20:30:00 UT

An Edmonton Police Service (EPS) member was charged today, July 18, 2019, in relation to an incident that occurred in 2018.

Const. Samuel Sanson, a 12 year member with the EPS, was charged with one count of distribution of an intimate image pursuant to Sec. 162.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada. The charge stems from a non-work related incident that reportedly took place in Edmonton in September 2018.

The constable is currently on leave.

The charges follow an in-depth investigation by the EPS Professional Standards Branch which was subsequently reviewed by Alberta Justice.

As the matter is currently before the courts, the EPS is not able to provide further comment or information about the incident or investigation.

Police warn Edmontonians of McDavid jerseys fraudulently autographed and sold online; investigators seek additional complainants

18 Jul 2019 13:54:00 UT

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) believes there are citizens who may have purchased authentic Oilers jerseys with fraudulent Connor McDavid signatures online from a man claiming to be from the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group or Pro Am Sports.

Chandra Vinesh Singh, 23, is charged with possession of a forged document (x2), fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000 and false pretence. Singh is also known to go by Vinesh Singh or Vinny.

In April of 2018, it was reported that Singh contacted several people via Facebook claiming he was employed by either the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group or Pro Am Sports and was selling autographed Connor McDavid jerseys. Investigators believe Singh successfully sold two fraudulently autographed jerseys to a citizen for $1,400.

Several months later, in February 2019, it was reported that Singh proposed an "investment opportunity" to an individual via Facebook, which again involved Oilers jerseys that Singh falsely claimed were signed by Connor McDavid. Singh also allegedly used fraudulent documents to support his claims. The individual was allegedly defrauded $23,000.

The EPS has confirmed through the Edmonton Oilers Entertainment Group and Pro Am Sports that the autographs on the jerseys sold in April of 2018 were not authentic.

"We thank the Edmonton Police Service for their diligence on this matter," said OEG Senior Vice President Corporate Communications & Government Relations Tim Shipton. "We are fortunate to have fans who support the team through the purchase of memorabilia, but this is a good reminder for our fans to always go to trusted sources."

Given the similarity of the alleged misconduct in these events, and the timeframe across which they occurred, the EPS believes that there are likely additional people who have been similarly victimized.

The Edmonton Police Service reminds citizens to use caution when purchasing from non-licensed vendors and individuals online. For more information regarding Pro Am Sports’ authenticity program, please visit: Choose team real deal when buying your gear and memorabilia. For more information on where to find certified, authentic Edmonton Oilers memorabilia, please visit: Edmonton Oilers Authentic Autographed Memorabilia.

Two more suspects arrested in connection to ongoing graffiti investigation

15 Jul 2019 20:59:44 UT

Members of the EPS Whyte Avenue Beats team have arrested and charged another two suspects in connection to an ongoing graffiti series that is estimated to have caused upwards of $1M in damage across the city.

Additional information regarding other suspects connected to the same group of graffiti taggers was brought to investigators’ attention, following distribution of an EPS News Release on June 28^th. As a result, police executed a search warrant on a residential address near 87 Street and 80 Avenue, which yielded close to a couple hundred cans of spray paint, paint pens and other items allegedly related to the graffiti series.

“We are grateful to the public for coming forward with information critical to this investigation,” says Sgt. Michael Keef, of the EPS Whyte Avenue Beats team. “These are people who are committed to our community, people who are proud to live here.”

Kellen Raas, 19, and Liam Movald, 21, were arrested and charged with mischief over $5,000 (x5), global charges that combine and cover a significant number of incidents.

Investigators believe there are other suspects still outstanding that were involved in this wide-spread graffiti series.

Anyone with additional information about these graffiti incidents and/or the other individuals involved are asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.

Background:

Two male suspects were initially arrested by EPS Whyte Avenue Beats members during the week of June 28, 2019. They were charged with multiple mischief offences in relation to the same graffiti series, which saw some historic buildings across the city desecrated with spray paint.

Police believe the two 22-year-old males played a significant role in multiple incidents across the city, including many in the Old Strathcona area alone, says EPS Whyte Avenue Beats Sgt. Michael Keef.

Autopsy completed in North side death

10 Jul 2019 19:27:31 UT

Autopsy results released by the Edmonton Medical Examiner today confirm that the death of a 29-year-old male in North Edmonton on July 8 is a homicide.

Marcus Streete, 29, died from multiple stab wounds.

At approximately 5 a.m. on Monday, July 8, 2019, Northeast Division members responded to 89 Street and 144 Avenue on a report of an injured male outside a residence.

Paramedics treated and rushed the 29-year-old man to hospital, where he passed away the same day.

Homicide Section continues to investigate and seek tips and witnesses to this incident.

Anyone with information about this incident or what led up to it is asked to call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm

Homicide detectives arrest Edmonton man in Vancouver in connection to 2017 suspicious death of baby boy

10 Jul 2019 16:35:50 UT

A comprehensive two-year investigation into the suspicious death of a six-month-old male child has culminated with the arrest of a 25-year-old Edmonton man.

Homicide investigators arrested and charged Christopher Lamarche, 25, with second degree murder in the 2017 suspicious death of six-month-old Jarock Humeniuk.

Northeast Division patrol members had originally responded to a residential address near 142 Avenue and 77 Street, at approximately 7 a.m., May 28, 2017, at the request of EMS. Upon arrival, officers learned that a six-month-old male child was deceased at that address.

The Edmonton Medical Examiner has since determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma, and the manner of death to be homicide.

Homicide detectives arrested Lamarche in Vancouver last Friday, July 5, 2019. Lamarche is expected to make his first appearance before a judge later this week, following his return to Edmonton.

Thieves target Provincial Archive building sign

09 Jul 2019 20:01:04 UT

The Edmonton Police Service is investigating the recent theft of brass letters from the Provincial Archives building.

It was reported to police that the brass letters on a sign outside of the building titled “Provincial Archives of Alberta” were stolen last weekend, Saturday or Sunday, July 6-7, 2019, from 8555 Roper Road in southeast Edmonton.

The brass letters are 12” tall by 8” wide.

The 27 letters are estimated to cost upwards of $7,000 to replace. A photo of the sign is included below.

Anyone with additional information about the theft of these brass letters is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.

Thieves made off with these brass letters from a sign at the
Provincial Archives of Alberta building over the weekend.

EPS to get a handle on bike theft

09 Jul 2019 18:00:00 UT

Today, July 9, 2019, the Edmonton Police Service is launching our official partnership with the online registry, Bike Index.

As of June 24, EPS has had 237 reported stolen bicycles in 2019. Last year in Edmonton, 1,530 bikes were reported stolen and only 50 were recovered. 1,021 bikes were sent to auction, as the owners could not be identified.

In order to reduce the number of bicycles that are unreturned, and to reduce the number of bike thefts as a whole, Constables Dana Gehring and Kenny McKinnon went to the cycling community and Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group to see what cyclists were already using and what they wanted; they found Bike Index.

"It took a lot of hard work from a few passionate officers to put together a proposal for their superiors to introduce Bike Index - not only as a recovery tool - but as a bike registry that has proven to stand out from the others with ease of use," said a representative from the Stolen Bikes Edmonton Facebook group.

Bike Index is a not-for-profit online bicycle registry. Bicycle owners can create a free account and in about two minutes, their bicycle is registered. An online bicycle registry means that owners can access their bike’s information instantly, which is crucial if a cyclist ever needs to prove ownership of their bicycle.

Bike Index has also recently developed stickers (above), like your licence plate registration sticker, to make the identification process easy. Anyone who finds your bike can scan the QR code with a smartphone and see if you’ve listed it as stolen, or they can message you to say they found your bike. It’s also a deterrent for potential bike thieves because it shows that the bike is being watched by the community.

"Bike Index is thrilled to form a partnership with Edmonton. By forming this official partnership between Bike Index and EPS, we can provide tools - such as allowing officers to communicate with bike owners before they've even marked their bike as stolen - that we've developed specifically for police accounts," stated Lily Williams, Communications Director of Bike Index. "We've built these tools to increase bike recovery rate, and we're excited to provide these services to a department that has an interest in supporting their cycling community."

To get as many bicycles registered as possible, we have shared the EPS and Bike Index branded stickers and informative brochures with a number of local bicycle shops; their staff will be able to assist in the registration process for anyone who comes to their store. Citizens can also come in to one of EPS’ six stations to pick up a sticker and brochure.

"The support we have received within EPS and Edmonton’s cycling community shows how important this initiative is," said Constable Kenny McKinnon. "We are proud to lead our city into a future that will hopefully see a noticeable decrease in bike theft and we want to thank Bike Index for partnering with us to make it happen."

How to register your bike with Bike Index

Create an account at BikeIndex.org. You’ll need to provide your bike’s details including serial number, make, model, and colour. You can add more details like aftermarket parts too – the more details the better. Don’t forget a photo and your phone number. Your phone number is only accessible by an EPS officer. This provides instant contact with you if our members find your bicycle.
Scan the sticker’s QR code with your smartphone camera or QR scanner app and open the link.
Get your free unique sticker from an EPS front counter or participating Edmonton bike shop. Place your sticker on the seat tube of your bicycle (the bar that extends from the saddle, down to the bottom bracket).
Link your bike by searching your bike description, email address, or bike’s serial number and click ‘Link It’ when your bike is listed.

Please see our Bicycle Registry webpage for more information and head to BikeIndex.org to register your bicycle now.

Police investigating suspicious death in North Edmonton

09 Jul 2019 16:56:34 UT

The EPS Homicide Section is investigating the suspicious death of a male.

At approximately 5 a.m. on Monday, July 8, 2019, Northeast Division members responded to 89 Street and 144 Avenue on a report of an injured male outside a residence.

Paramedics treated and rushed the 29-year-old man to hospital, where he passed away the same day.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

Homicide Section continues to investigate.

Police seek public’s assistance locating missing man

09 Jul 2019 00:09:35 UT

The Edmonton Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing 22-year-old man who was reported missing July 5.

Kevin Sim was last seen on Sunday, June 30, 2019, near 52 Avenue and 110 Street, in the Southgate Mall area. Kevin is described as an Asian male with black hair and brown eyes, 5'11" tall, skinny and 125 pounds. He often wears a black hoodie and sweat pants, sometimes with multiple layers of clothing.

Sim’s disappearance is considered to be out of character, and as a result, his family is concerned for his well-being.

KEVIN SIM, 22

Assist to locate: High risk offender wanted on warrants

05 Jul 2019 22:12:56 UT

The Edmonton Police Service has issued arrest warrants for Paul Michael Egotak, 29, who allegedly breached conditions of his court order.

Egotak is wanted for breach of recognizance (x4).

He poses a great risk to the public and is considered by police to be a violent offender, most notably while under the influence of substances.

Egotak is described as being 5’3” 134 pounds, black hair and brown eyes. He is considered violent and dangerous, and should not be approached.

Anyone with any information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the EPS immediately at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.

Paul Michael Egotak, 29:
Violent Offender