POLICE BEAT: Cusack to appear in Grand Forks next week
By Erin Perkins
Christopher James Cusack, the 47 year-old Grand Forks man charged with two counts of arson endangering life in connection with the fires at the Grand Forks Hotel and the Winnipeg Hotel, is scheduled to appear in the Grand Forks court on Tuesday, June 19.
During this court appearance he is asking for a judicial interm release. He appeared in the Nelson court on Tuesday, May 8 without a completed psychiatric assessment.
Cusack could face a maximum penalty of life in prison, should he be convicted. No plea has been made.
Grand Forks Hotel was completely destroyed by the fire that consumed it on March 7 and the Winnipeg Hotel has sustained smoke damage. About 20 people were reportedly displaced by the fire.
911 plagued by pocket dialed false alarms
The local 911 emergency service is being plagued by false 911 cell phone calls from the Grand Forks area, said Grand Forks RCMP staff sergeant Jim Harrison.
This is an ongoing problem, said Harrison, but as an example the 911 dispatch service received seven false calls between June 7 and 10.
“(The 911 service) is getting just plagued with pocket dialing from cell phones,” said Harrison. “Don’t program 911 on your speed dial if it can accidentally be hit … It’s really posing a problem and getting worse and worse all the time.”
He said the biggest culprits are pay-as-you-go phones because the call can’t be traced. So if there was someone who was in trouble, called 911 and then passed out, the police can only trace them within a 3 kilometer radius unless they have a regular phone plan.
“We take all the calls very seriously but we can’t find them unless we have the subscriber information so there is no way to contact them,” said Harrison.
He said the calls come through and often all the 911 dispatcher can hear is people talking. The false calls cost time and resources for 911 responders. Each individual case must be looked into and they are considered a serious call until determined otherwise, said Harrison.
Money being lost to internet scams
Grand Forks residents have recently been complaining of loosing money online.
“We’re seeing vast amounts of money being lost online,” said Harrison.
Harrison said one person bought a vehicle online but never received it.
“The vehicle never existed and they lost a lot of money.”
There was another case where someone was using an online dating service. The money they sent to pay for the service went to another country and now the money can’t be traced easily.
“A word to this wise,” said Harrison. “When dealing with internet and money transactions exercise due diligence … All I can do is warm people that if it looks too good to be true, it is.”
Thief takes advantage of unlocked door
A trusting homeowner will be a lot less so after their home was broken into through an unlocked door on Saturday, June 9.
Grand Forks RCMP were called to a home on 18th Street in Grand Forks at 7:36 p.m. after the resident returned home to find costume jewelery, gold jewelery, a wallet with identification, some cash, prescription drugs and a pink blanket missing.
The homeowner had left the door unlocked when they left the home, which gave the thief easy access.
“Nowadays we just don’t recommend doing that at all,” said Harrison.
A suspect was found, questioned and released because there wasn’t enough evidence to charge them, said Harrison.
Random acts of damage
A trailer plate was reported stolen on Wednesday, June 6 at 8:56 a.m. by a vehicle owner in Christina Lake.
The trailer had been parked at their home on Maida Frontage Road in Christina Lake since last summer, so the plate went missing between then and now.
“There are obviously no witnesses or suspects,” said Harrison.
Another vehicle received a senseless key scratch down the driver’s side of a Ford Focus that was parked behind Jogas in Grand Forks.
Thee willful damage was reported to Grand Forks RCMP on Wednesday, June 13 at 10 a.m.
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