A young Whistler woman has been fined $200 for defacing park property after admitting to the recent theft of a sign that had graced the front of an inukshuk welcoming guests and calling attention to the resort’s role during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The 20-year-old, who had no record of previous criminal activity, on Friday (Sept. 3) admitted her involvement in the theft of the aluminum sign, which on Aug. 25 went missing from the inukshuk along Village Gate Boulevard, RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair said on Tuesday (Sept. 7). Municipal officials reported the theft to police on Aug. 29.

After the theft, municipal workers found a digital camera believed to belong to one of the suspects in the theft. On the camera were images of three people inside an apartment or condominium, mugging for photos with the sign. The images on the camera also include photos that showed a car parked next to what appeared to be a Whistler residence. Police pinpointed the location by blowing up photos of the car’s licence plate and then matching it to the car’s owner, who was not involved in the sign’s theft, LeClair said.

When police confronted her with the accusation, the woman admitted her involvement in the sign’s theft and “helped investigators in the recovery of the sign,” he said.

The woman told police that in the days after the theft, she began to feel remorse for her actions, LeClair said.

“She said that since she took it, she had suffered a lot of bad karma. She gave it to friends and apparently they ditched it,” he said.

“She was truly remorseful,” he said, explaining why the woman was fined for defacing park property and not charged with theft.

The sign, valued at $2,300, was eventually found outdoors near Myrtle Philip Community School, he said.

In several places the brushed-aluminum sign had been written on with felt-tip markers, but municipal officials expressed confidence that it could be restored, LeClair said.

Fraud charge pending

A 30-year-old Whistler woman is facing a charge of fraud over $5,000 in connection with the alleged misuse of a credit card to bilk her employer of approximately $8,000.

Last Wednesday (Sept. 1) at 12:40 p.m., staff at a shop in Mountain Square contacted police to report what appeared to be fraudulent credit-card transactions that occurred at the store the previous day, LeClair said. Store employees told police they believed another employee was responsible for the transactions.

Police went to the last known address of the suspect. After she was arrested and taken to the Whistler RCMP detachment, she admitted to her involvement, he said. She faces a charge of fraud over $5,000.

Pemberton theft reported

Police are investigating an apparent break-in and the theft of “a large amount of cash” from a home in Pemberton.

Sometime between Monday (Sept. 6) at 8 a.m. and Tuesday (Sept. 7) at 1 a.m., a culprit or culprits entered the bedroom of a home on Juniper Place and stole the cash, LeClair said. As part of their investigation, police attended and seized items that are being analyzed by forensics experts, LeClair said.

Break-in, theft reported

Two chainsaws and a children’s bicycle trailer were stolen during break-in at a storage container that was left outside home on Cedar Springs Road in Alpine Meadows. The incident, reported to police on Thursday (Sept. 2), resulted in the theft of a Husqvarna chainsaw valued at $1,000, a Stihl chainsaw valued at $200 and a bike trailer valued at $500. Police are investigating.

Bikes stolen

Four bicycle thefts were reported to police in Whistler and Pemberton over the past 10 days.

On Aug. 29 at around 8 p.m., a bike owner reported that his bike, a Giant Rain0 with a Fox 32 Talus fork, was stolen from a vehicle rack while he was inside a Pemberton fast food restaurant.

On Wednesday (Sept. 1) at 4:12 p.m., a grey 24-inch Norco Compressor bike was reported stolen from the bike rack of a car on Whitewater Drive in Cheakamus Crossing. The bike is valued at approximately $1,000.

On Thursday at 1 p.m., a bike lock was cut and a black Cannondale bike valued at $800 was stolen from outside a home on Cheakamus Way in Nordic Estates.

On Monday at 5 p.m., a green low-rider bike valued at $1,000 was reported stolen from an unlocked storage area inside a secured underground parkade at a Whistler Village condominium complex. LeClair said it’s believed the culprit entered by following a vehicle through the parkade’s security gate.

Impaired charges pending

A woman from D’Arcy and a man from Mission are facing charges of impaired driving and driving over .08 in connection with separate incidents on the long weekend.

On Saturday (Sept. 4), police pulled over a vehicle that was driving erratically on Portage Road between Mount Currie and D’Arcy. The driver, a 45-year-old woman from D’Arcy, showed signs of impairment and was taken to the Whistler RCMP detachment, where she blew blood-alcohol readings of .22 and .21.

On Sunday (Sept. 5) at 12:28 a.m., police patrolling Highway 99 stopped a vehicle for speeding near the Callaghan Valley turnoff. The 22-year-old driver from Mission showed signs of impairment, and later blew two readings of .1, LeClair said.