Human remains have been found in a trailer after it was engulfed in flames on Monday night (March 18) according to Whistler RCMP.
Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair said a fifth wheel trailer on fire was reported at 6:30 p.m. in a parking lot 10 kilometres up the Callaghan Forest Service Road.
“It appears this person has been residing at that location for some time,” he said. “The trailer was fully engulfed when witnesses observed it.”
Garibaldi Fire and police attended, but it was after the fire was put out that the remains were located inside, LeClair said.
“Today police, the Coroners Office and the Office of the Fire Commissioner were conducting an examination of the scene,” he added. “We don’t know what caused the fire yet.”
LeClair said police have an indication of who the person may be, but until they confirm identity and notify next of kin could not provide any further details.
Fraud warning
Whistler and Pemberton RCMP are warning residents to be aware of two service scams after receiving complaints these frauds were being attempted locally.
LeClair said the scams are the two biggest targeting Canadians — an antivirus software scam and an interest rate reduction scam. He said the scams are attempted over the phone and the fraudsters can be quite aggressive.
“The perpetrators involved in the antivirus software scam promise to repair your computer over the Internet and this can involve the installation of software or permission to have remote access to your computer,” he said, adding payment for the software is typically made by credit card. “Downloading software form an unknown source or allowing someone to remotely access your computer is risky.
“Perpetrators can use malicious software to access your personal information, such as usernames and passwords, bank account information and identity information.”
Car taken for speeding
A 21-year-old Brackendale man lost his car last week for driving too fast through Whistler.
Last Tuesday (March 12) at 9:27 p.m. LeClair said police travelling southbound on Highway 99 near Hillcrest noticed a vehicle going north at 111 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.
“Police stopped the vehicle and the driver was given a ticket for excessive speed and had his vehicle impounded for seven days,” he said.
Drunk drivers
Whistler RCMP encountered several people who had been drinking and driving resulting in charges for refusal and a few immediate roadside driving prohibitions and vehicles being impounded.
On Tuesday at 10:51 p.m. police responded to a motor vehicle collision at Lorimer Road and Highway 99.
LeClair said police observed one of the drivers speaking to the tow truck driver and detected the odour of alcohol on his breath. The 27-year-old Squamish man was given a roadside screening test and failed and LeClair said he was arrested and given the breath demand for impaired operation resulting in .13 and .14 blood alcohol levels.
During the early morning hours of Friday (March 15) police were patrolling the day lot area when LeClair said they observed a vehicle drive onto the footpath at the corner of Lorimer Road and Blackcomb Way.
“The vehicle was observed continuing onto the sidewalk and driving diagonally through the intersection and through a red light,” he said.
LeClair said police pulled over the 62-year-old female driver form Richmond and while speaking with her noted slurred speech and the smell of alcohol. He added the driver was somewhat incoherent and when given an roadside screening device she failed to provide a sample as she was not properly blowing into it.
“The consequences of refusal were explained to the driver and she stated ‘I will fail’ and then stated ‘I refuse,’ ” Leclair said, adding she was given a 90 day driving suspension. “She became aggressive and belligerent and she was arrested for being intoxicated in public and held in cells until sober and able to care for herself.”
On Saturday (March 16) shortly before 1 a.m. police observed a vehicle in Day Lot 3 approaching the exit on Blackcomb Way that failed to stop at the stop sign.
LeClair said the vehicle continued drive erratically, at times straddling the solid yellow line on the road.
Officers stopped the 29-year-old William’s Lake driver. They noted signs of impairment and he failed a roadside screening device, which resulted in a 90 day driving suspension and the vehicle being impounded for 30 days.
Thefts reported
A theft form a hotel and from a locked wood shed were reported this week to RCMP.
On Thursday a the theft form a hotel that occurred sometime between 1:30 and 5:15 p.m. was reported. LeClair said the complainant and his wife were both missing their laptops, their chargers that went with them, two cameras, a voice recorder and business cards.
“Police are continuing to investigate and are looking at surveillance video and the activity on the access logs for the door keys as there was no sign of forced entry,” LeClair said.
The wooden shed, located in the 4700 block of Lost Lake Road, was reported broken into sometime between Thursday at 8:30 p.m. and Friday at 5 a.m.
LeClair said the door lock was removed with a bolt cutter and a Husqvarna chainsaw and four jerrycans of gasoline taken.
