Winkler police are searching for a man who stole a large amount of lottery tickets from a local gas station.

Police report on March 21 at approximately 4:00 p.m a male walked into Petro Canada on Diamond Drive and stole a number of lottery tickets before fleeing the scene in a waiting vehicle.

The file remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Winkler Police Service at 204-325-9990. Callers may remain anonymous.

Below is the weekly police report for March 19-25:

March 19 – Police received a complaint of a group of males inside a vehicle who were repeatedly throwing a bicycle onto the street near the Winkler Centennial Library. Police located the group of males and spoke to the driver who stated he thought throwing a bicycle onto the street would be funny. The driver of the vehicle received a verbal warning and the bicycle was seized as found property as it did not belong to any of the males.

An anonymous complaint was received of an impaired driver travelling toward Superstore. Police attended the area and located the suspect vehicle travelling west on Cargill Road. Police activated emergency equipment however the vehicle did not immediately stop for police and eventually pulled over onto a driveway on 2nd Street. Police asked the driver to exit the vehicle and immediately noted that he was unsteady on his feet, had bloodshot eyes and smelled strongly of liquor. The male driver, a 44 year old resident of Winkler, was subsequently arrested for Drive Impaired and transported to the Winkler Police Service, and his vehicle was towed from the scene. The accused provided two breath samples resulting in readings of 270 mg% and 280 mg% (the legal limit is 80 mg%) and was arrested for Drive Over .08. Police also learned that the driver was previously convicted of Drive Over .08 therefore a Notice to Seek Greater Punishment was completed. The accused was released to a sober adult after being issued a Promise to Appear with conditions.

March 20 – Police were notified of a vehicle stopped on Highway 14 with no lights on and was reported to be in a dangerous location. Police attended and spoke with the driver who stated that he was test driving the vehicle when it broke down. The driver was making arrangements to have the vehicle towed, and police directed him to turn on the vehicle’s hazard lights until it could be moved. Police confirmed a short time later that the vehicle was removed from the highway.

A report of fraud was received regarding a female who withdrew a large amount of money from her bank account after remotely depositing two cheques which were believed to be forged. This file is still under investigation.

March 22 – The owner of a local business reported that on March 19th a female stole several items from his store. The owner declined to provide a statement and informed police that the female was a frequent customer and he would attempt to secure payment for the stolen items the next time she attended the business. The owner was advised to contact police if any further issues arise.

Police received a report of fraud that occurred on October 18th and October 19th, 2017 regarding large sums of money that were withdrawn from the complainant’s bank account on both days. This file is still under investigation.

March 23 – Police attended a residence on 2nd Street regarding an unwanted female inside the apartment. Police learned that the complainant had placed an ad online for a roommate and allowed the female to move into the apartment. The complainant stated that the female would not clean up after herself and property has been going missing from her home. The lease agreement was incomplete therefore police asked the female to depart the residence, which she did without incident.

A resident of Triangle Oasis contacted police for assistance as he was locked out of his room. Police attended and learned that the owner of Triangle Oasis was on his way to assist with gaining entry to the room. Police remained on scene until the owner arrived and unlocked the door for the complainant.

A female reported to police that she was walking her dog on 10th Street when two stray dogs attacked her dog. Police attended and learned that the complainant’s dog was not injured. The two stray dogs were located a short time later and picked up by animal control.

March 24 – Police received a report of two messages left on the complainant’s answering machine stating, “Time sensitive, call back immediately”. The complainant did not return the call and police advised her the calls were most likely a scam and she was correct in not returning the call.

March 25 – A report was received of a vehicle travelling in the oncoming lane of Chevy Drive. Police attended the area but were unable to locate the suspect vehicle. Police then attended the driver’s home at which time the suspect vehicle pulled onto the driveway. Police spoke with the driver who stated she was attempting to avoid parked cars and objects in her lane. Police did not note any signs of impairment or medical distress and cleared the scene.

A vehicle was reported to be travelling at a high rate of speed on Highway 14. The complainant followed the vehicle to the Southland Mall where it was observed doing donuts in the parking lot. Police attended and issued the driver a verbal warning for speeding and power turns.