September 14, 2020, Lake Loon, Nova Scotia… Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the murder of 22-year-old Josiah Kaelin Sparks of Lake Loon.

Just after 8 p.m. on September 14, 2017, police responded to a 911 call after Sparks was found deceased on Cherry Brook Rd in Lake Loon. Police continue to ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sparks between Monday, September 11, 2017 and Thursday, September 14, 2017 to contact police. The investigation has determined that Sparks had attended a gathering at a house on Cherry Brook Rd. during this time period. Police would like to speak with anyone that may have seen him there.

“We are asking for the public’s assistance with solving this homicide,” says Detective Constable Scott MacLeod, of the Homicide Unit. “Someone out there knows what happened and it’s important for them to do the right thing and come forward with their information.”

The Government of the Province of Nova Scotia is offering rewards of up to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of Josiah Kaelin Sparks. The Provincial Rewards line is 1-888-710-9090.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Special Investigation Section at 902-490-5333. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

 

File # 17-138892

Yesterday September 10 at approximately 9:20 p.m., Halifax Regional Police received a report of a stolen firearm (handgun) that was accidentally left in a locked case outside the owners residence in the 0-100 block of Leaman Drive, Dartmouth.

The caller reported returning home at 4:00 p.m., after cancelling a planned trip to a range.  At 9:00 p.m., the caller discovered he had accidentally left one of his locked firearm cases containing a handgun outside near the street.  The owner searched and could not locate the secure firearm box and immediately called police.

Police have confirmed the owner possesses a valid Firearm License and the stolen firearm is registered.  The firearm is described as:

A silver Norinco 1911, 9mm handgun with brown grips and contains two magazines.  The firearm was stored and locked inside a black hard plastic Husky case.

Note to Media: Photos of the firearm and case are attached.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about this incident to call police at 902-490-5020.  Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or by using the P3 Tips app.

Case #20-107364​

September 11, 2020, Springhill, Nova Scotia… Cumberland County RCMP is looking to identify a person(s) involved in a possible attempted abduction last night on Valley Rd. near Springhill in Cumberland County.

Shortly before 8 p.m., police responded to a complaint that a man had possibly attempted to lure a three-year-old child into his car. The child was playing in the yard with two others when their mother noticed a vehicle pull to the side of the road close to the children. A driver of the vehicle yelled for one of the children to get in the car. The children ran into the house and the vehicle then drove away towards Springhill.

RCMP members made patrols throughout Springhill, however, the suspect or vehicle were not located.

The driver was a man described to be in his 40’s with a clean cut appearance and had a raspy voice. There may have been two people in the vehicle. The vehicle is described as a silver or beige Chevrolet Cruze, an older model.

 

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to contact Cumberland District RCMP at 902-597-3779. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

 

File # 2020-1325432

One deceased and two others in hospital after ingesting a white powder substance

September 5, 2020, Earltown, Nova Scotia…Early today at 3:05 a.m., Colchester RCMP and EHS responded to a medical emergency in Earltown where a 24-year-old Colchester County man was pronounced deceased at the scene and two other adult males were taken to hospital in life-threatening condition.

A preliminary investigation indicates all three ingested a white powder substance. Police suspect the substance could have contained fentanyl or another toxic substance. The substance was immediately seized and sent for testing.

According to Health Canada, fentanyl is a very potent opioid and a few grains can be enough to kill someone. Our primary concern is public safety and we want people to ensure they are aware of what may be circulating and to take the necessary precautions or rethink choices they may be about to make.

For more information on fentanyl, visit the Health Canada website at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/controlled-illegal-drugs/fentanyl.html.

Free Naloxone kits are available throughout the province for anyone at risk of overdose, or friends and family of someone at risk of overdose. These kits can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Find a pharmacy that distributes Naloxone near you at http://www.nsnaloxone.com/where-to-get-one.html.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this difficult time. Police file # 20201290903 refers.

Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug which has caused the deaths of thousands of Canadians over the years. It will continue to kill drug users. Anyone who wishes to report drug dealers dealing this deadly drug or other drugs and who wish to save the lives of family and friends who use drugs can call their local police or can report drug traffickers anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477 or can submit a tip on-line at crimestoppers.ns.ca or via the P3 app.

Halifax Regional Police are investigating a robbery that occurred last evening in Dartmouth.

At 9:51 p.m. on September 7^th,  2020, officers responded to a report of a robbery at the Irving Service Station located at 200 Waverley Road, Dartmouth. A lone male suspect entered the Service Station and confronted the lone female employee who was working behind the counter,  he stated,  “I want the cigarettes and money, I just want the cigarettes and money”. The suspect produced a knife by pulling it out from the front of his pants and points the knife at the female employee stating, “I have a knife and I want all the cigarettes and bills from the till”. The female employee screams and the suspect again states, “ I have a knife and I know the cigarettes are here just give me the cigarettes and money”.  The suspect bolts behind the counter and waves the knife at the female employee, he points the knife at the drawer containing the cigarettes  and states, “If you don’t give me the cigarettes I will kill you”. The female employee starts filling a green re-usable Sobeys’s bag which the suspect has in his possession with the cartons of cigarettes. When the Sobeys’s bag is filled with the cartons of cigarettes the suspect points the knife at the till and states, “Open the till”. The female employee opens the till and is about to give the suspect the coins from the till. The suspect states, “ Stop giving me coins I want bills”. The suspect grabs an undisclosed amount of bills from the till and runs towards the door while stuffing the bills into his jacket pocket. The suspect bolts out the Service Station door and runs to his left towards the car wash.

The female employee was not injured.

A witness observes the suspect leave the Service Station parking lot in an Orange Dodge Dart with a temporary permit in the window. As the police are arriving on the scene the witness observes the vehicle pull into an apartment building parking lot at 172 Braemar Drive. The witness notifies the arriving officers on the whereabouts of the suspect vehicle. Officers locate the vehicle which is unoccupied and the officers can observe inside the vehicle cartons of cigarettes and the jacket the suspect was wearing at the time of the robbery.

The suspect is described as a white male, between 25-30 years old, 5’8” to 6’0” in height, slim build.  He was wearing a white zip up jacket with three green stripes going down both sleeves of the jacket and three green stripes going across the  chest of the jacket, olive colored pajama pants or sweat pants, white shoes, a dark blue ski mask with an eye slit exposing his eyes, the suspect was not wearing gloves. The suspect was carrying a green re-usable Sobeys’s bag which he used to have the female employee fill with the stolen cigarettes.

Multiple police units attended the scene and actively looked for the suspect. A K-9 officer attended the scene with the police service dog and began tracking the suspect from the vehicle to Chrysler Avenue where the scent of the suspects’ track was lost.

An Investigator from the Forensic Identification Unit attended and processed the scene.

The vehicle was seized as evidence and a search warrant will be prepared by Investigators later today to search the vehicle. The investigation will be assigned to Investigators from the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division.

Anyone with information about this incident or the identity of the suspects is asked to call police at 902-490-5016. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or using the P3 Tips App.

 

20-104969.        

 

Halifax Regional Police are investigating a robbery that occurred last evening in Dartmouth.

At 11:27 p.m. on September 4^th,  2020, officers responded to a report of a robbery at Highfield Variety located at 94 Highfield Park Drive, Dartmouth. A lone male suspect entered the Variety store and produced a knife to the lone female  employee who was stocking the fridge, he stated “give me cash and cigarettes, do not press security button or call anyone”. The suspect went behind the counter with the female employee and took money from the till and had the female employee fill a re-usable green Sobeys’s bag with cigarettes. The female employee was not injured. The suspect fled the Variety Store and turned left running down the pathway between 94 and 96 Highfield Park Drive.

 

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 30 years old, 5’9”, heavy set.  He was wearing a burgundy hooded sweat shirt, with the hood pulled up over a dark ball cap he wearing on his head, a dark mask, gloves, grey sweat pants with a black line from the pocket to the knee on both sides of the sweat pants., grey sneakers with white soles. The suspect was carrying a green re-usable Sobeys’s bag which he used to fill with the stolen cigarettes.

Multiple police units attended the scene and are actively looking for the suspect. A K-9 officer attended the scene with the police service dog but could not locate a viable track of the suspect. Investigators from the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division attended the scene and will be handling the investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident or the identity of the suspects is asked to call police at 902-490-5016. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or using the P3 Tips App.

 

20-103684.