Latest news with #criminalactivity
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Drug house in Mill Woods shut down after decade of disturbances
Alberta Sheriffs have closed down a house in Mill Woods after 10 years of complaints from neighbours about drug and criminal activity there. After 10 years of complaints from neighbours over drug and criminal activity, a house in Mill Woods has been closed by provincial sheriffs. The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit of the Alberta Sheriffs received a court order to close the southeast Edmonton property at 6707 32 Ave. for 90 days. All people living in the home, including the property owner, were required to leave it under the order starting Thursday. The house has been boarded up and fenced off, and has had its locks changed. The moves to close down the house have neighbours feeling relieved and safer after enduring disturbances and property damage over the years. Pauline Wilson, who lives two doors down from the house, said people coming and going from the house would make a lot of noise, describing 'yelling and screaming over there.' She said once she and her neighbours petitioned the sheriffs and the City of Edmonton, officials moved quickly to shut it down in a month's time, Wilson said. Drug house Alberta Sheriffs have closed down a house in Mill Woods after 10 years of complaints from neighbours about drug and criminal activity there. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton) 'It's about time they started cracking down on these places,' she told CTV News Edmonton on Sunday. 'They're not good for a neighbourhood. They're not good for children. It makes the whole neighbourhood safer, and I'm really glad they're gone.' Pyol Awac, who lives across the street from the problem house for seven years, said he and his family dealt with damage to their vehicle by people associated with the house. They had to park their vehicle behind the house to avoid further damage, but now, his wife feels comfortable enough to park it in front of their house again. 'I'm safe now, better than before,' he told CTV News Edmonton. Since 2009, SCAN has investigated the property six times, twice resulting in orders temporarily closing the house and evicting people living there. Police had visited the property more than 250 times since the start of 2015. There were two fatal drug overdoses at the house in 2022. People who lodged complaints with police reported suspicious people, assaults, drug possession and drug trafficking at the property. SCAN told CTV News Edmonton the owner of the property now plans to sell it. Karen Teng, the city councillor who represents the area, said efforts by the neighbours to report the activity at the house was key in helping the city and police take action to deal with it. 'Based on what I'm hearing and what I'm understanding, it takes some time, neighbours reporting, all those things matter,' Teng told CTV News Edmonton last week. 'This is why we have dedicated policies, dedicated resources. This is why we're taking a multi-disciplinary approach to this ... some of these properties are fairly complex. You may not run into one issue – gang violence, for example – you may run into homelessness and housing issues or squatting, so it does take a concerted effort.' Since it began in 2008, the SCAN unit has investigated more than 10,000 properties and has issued more than 130 community safety orders. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Sean McClune
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Sheriffs shut down drug house that police visited 250 times in the last decade
A problem property at 6707 32 Ave in Edmonton, which has been a source of drug and criminal activity for over a decade, was shut down by Alberta Sheriffs on July 10, 2025. (Google Images) Alberta Sheriffs have closed down a problem property in southeast Edmonton that has been a source of drug and criminal activity for a decade. A statement from the Government of Alberta issued Thursday afternoon said the Sheriffs' Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit obtained a court order against the homeowners of 6707 32 Ave. The property will be closed for 90 days starting Thursday at noon. All individuals – including the property owner – are ordered to vacate the premises. The house will be boarded up, fenced and all the locks will be changed. SCAN has investigated the property six times since 2009. The operation has seen two previous community safety orders that saw the home temporarily evicted and shuttered. Since January 2015, Edmonton police have visited the home more than 250 times. The house has been a hub for illegal drug trafficking and abuse, as well as two fatal overdoses. Neighbours reported suspicious people coming and going from the home, assaults, drug possession and drug trafficking. Community safety order conditions will remain in effect until Oct. 8.
CBS News
23-06-2025
- CBS News
Blaine man illegally bought guns used in killings of Trinity Ottoson-Smith, Aniya Allen, charges say
A Blaine man is accused of illegally buying dozens of guns that investigators say have, over the past five years, ended up tied to criminal activity across the Twin Cities, including the murders of two young children who were killed in the summer of 2021. William Burton, 26, faces federal charges for allegedly making false statements while buying firearms. The affidavit says he certified that he was buying the firearms for himself, but instead he would sell them to others. According to the complaint, Burton bought at least 41 handguns in the nine-month span between November 2019 and August 2020. By September 2020, five of the guns he bought had been recovered by police, and by April 2025, 17 of the guns had been found under circumstances associated with criminal activity. Sherburne County Jail In one of the instances, police conducted a traffic stop outside the Eagan Outlet Mall in October 2021 on a report of shoplifting. While searching the car, officers found a 9mm gun, which Burton had allegedly bought on May 28, 2020. According to cartridge casing analysis, the gun was used in the murder of Trinity Ottoson-Smith, a 9-year-old girl who was shot while jumping on a trampoline during a birthday party. She died 12 days later in the hospital. Dpree Robinson was sentenced to more than 37 years in prison for killing Ottoson-Smith. The criminal complaint also says that in March 2024, Minneapolis police found a handgun that Burton bought in March 2020 behind the bar of a saloon. Analysis showed the gun had been used in 10 different instances, including in the fatal shooting of 6-year-old Aniya Allen. Allen was hit in the head by a stray bullet while she was sitting in a car with her mother. Her killing remains unsolved. In December 2020, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives obtained a search warrant for Burton's home. Charging documents say Burton said he had sold most of his guns on a firearms marketplace website, but records show he sold two guns and had bought two others. Agents obtained a search warrant for his Facebook and Snapchat accounts, and found conversations in which Burton allegedly offered to sell a gun for $50 along with the price of the firearm, charges state. In January 2022, Burton was sentenced for second-degree aggravated robbery in Anoka County. He is on probation until January 2027, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Burton is charged with conspiracy to make false statements in the purchasing of firearms, making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation.
BreakingNews.ie
22-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Three men taken to hospital after violent disorder in Limerick city
Three men have been injured and treated in hospital following violent clashes thought to be linked to a criminal feud in Limerick city. One of the three males taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick on Saturday night was described as being in a 'more serious condition' than the other two males who were brought to the hospital for minor injuries. Advertisement 'Weapons', believed to be slash hooks, were used in the violence that occurred at Hyde Avenue, on the south side of the city. A car was also 'smashed up' and the area remained cordoned off by gardaí on Sunday morning. The feud has escalated in recent months with increased shootings, pipe bomb attacks and firebombings of homes. A large group of people were involved in the clashes overnight. Local sources described the scenes as 'chaotic' and expressed concern that people could be 'killed' if it continues. Advertisement 'Gardaí were alerted to violent disorder and criminal damage incidents on Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick on the night of Saturday 21st June, 2025 at approximately 23.50pm,' a Garda spokesman said. 'A vehicle was damaged during the incident and three males were taken to University Hospital Limerick with injuries which are believed to be non-life threatening. Investigations are ongoing,' he added. Gardaí recently told Limerick District Court that 'permanent armed patrols' have been established in parts of Limerick city, while gardaí are also stationed outside some schools as due to the feuding between the rival families. Officers told the court that the feuding factions 'pose a serious and active threat' to innocent members of the public as the violence can erupt almost anywhere at any time. Advertisement As part of the disputes, 'explosive devices have been used to target homes and individuals', with one house having to be demolished after sustaining major structural damage from a pipe-bomb attack. The recent wave of attacks has put gardaí on heightened alert and fearful that someone could be killed, while local Garda management have warned that loss of life is a serious possibility if the feuding continues. The level of feuding has 'necessitated the detailing of uniformed members of An Garda Síochána outside local schools to prevent further escalations and tensions among feuding parties', gardaí said. Ireland Limerick feud escalates: House demolished after bo... Read More Gardaí said they were investigating a 'huge amount of incidents that are attributable to this feud', including violent disorder, criminal damage, shootings and the use of explosive devices. Officers have visited a number of people recently to inform them their lives are in danger due to active threats. It is understood gardaí have also intercepted the transport of guns and drugs through the city. Sources said the feud is reaching boiling point, although a number of individuals suspected of involvement have been taken off the streets and remanded in custody.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
A $1 million Ferrari – or is it? Canada's insurance investigators face rising fraud claims
W5's Jon Woodward investigates how criminals are using VIN spoofing to disguise cars and turn the value of one stolen car into multiple insurance payouts.
