GANANOQUE, Ont. — The Gananoque Police Service has arrested and charged a 44-year-old resident of Kingston, Ontario, for allegedly orchestrating a series of water thefts from local town fire hydrants. The unusual series of thefts involved a commercial water vehicle and was intercepted by active police patrols following a tip-off from municipal workers.
According to authorities, the investigation began after police received initial reports that a water company was illicitly draining water from fire hydrants across the town on June 4 and June 5. The situation escalated on June 13 when alert public utility employees noticed an unauthorized pull of water actively occurring at a town hydrant and promptly alerted law enforcement.
Officers on patrol managed to track down and locate the suspect vehicle shortly after the report. The driver was detained at the scene, and a commercial water truck was seized by the police department as physical evidence.
The 44-year-old suspect, whose identity has been withheld by authorities, has been officially charged with two counts of theft under $5,000 and one count of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. The accused was held in custody awaiting a formal bail hearing.
The picturesque town of Gananoque, famously known as the gateway to the Thousand Islands, is situated along the St. Lawrence River, roughly 164 kilometers southwest of downtown Ottawa.
