Hammer (and knife) time

A 43-year-old man is being held for a bail hearing following a harrowing incident in the downtown core Thursday afternoon. 

Shortly before 4 p.m. officers received a call to an area along the Riverfront Trail in the downtown area after an unknown male – described by witnesses as wearing yellow headphones, military pants and a black sleeveless shirt – had kicked a parked vehicle and left the scene.

When the owner of the vehicle approached and confronted the male, the suspect pulled a hammer and knife from his backpack. The owner of the vehicle drove away and called police.

Officers arrived a short time later and spoke with a number of witnesses. The male suspect was located and arrested without further incident and held for a bail hearing Friday.

The male, who has no fixed address, was charged with weapons dangerous, mischief and uttering threats.

Theft of tools

A number of high-end tools were stolen from the rear of a vehicle parked on Church Street earlier this week.

Police were called to an address on Church Street early Thursday morning around 8 a.m. after the owner of a vehicle found approximately $4,000 with of Milwaukee tools were taken from his parked vehicle sometime the night before.

Included in the theft were three drills, a skill saw, hammer drill and a number of specialized tools.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Const. Monique Waite at mwaite@bellevilleps.ca or Crime Stoppers at 613-969-8477.

Crime Stoppers is a community program that helps people provide anonymous information about criminal activity.

Be wary of Bitcoin messaging scams

The Belleville Police Service would like to remind the public to be vigilant when receiving messaging and offers via messaging services from unknown sources.

Shortly after 7 p.m. a city resident walked into the Belleville Police Service to report a fraud. The citizen had sent upwards of $7,000 to a fraudulent investment scheme involving Bitcoin on the messaging platform WhatsApp.

An investigation into the incident is continuing, however the Belleville Police Service would like to advise the public to only trust reputable sources for investment advice and transactions.

For more information about the latest scams and schemes, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca