UPDATE – Active Investigation – Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue South

On January 29, 2025 members of the O.P.P. Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E) Squad identified a home on Kathleen Avenue in Sarnia where a male wanted on drug and firearm charges was staying. 

Given the nature of the charges, the Sarnia Police Service Emergency Response Team (ERT) responded to execute the arrest warrant. 

Shortly after 4:10 PM, ERT members made entry into the home and arrested A 42 year old and transported him to the Sarnia Police Station and will be returned to the Halton Region where the arrest warrant originated from since May 10, 2024.

The suspect is charged in Halton with the following offences:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (5 counts)
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle
• Possession of a restricted firearm
• Possession of a firearm while prohibited (3 counts)
• Fail to stop at the scene of an accident
• Flight from peace officer
• Fail to comply with a release order

The suspect is also wanted by the Peel Regional Police and has been since January 26, 2024 for the following offences:

• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
• Flight from a peace officer
• Fail to stop at the scene of an accident 

About the R.O.P.E Squad:

The Provincial ROPE (Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement) Squad is a multi-agency, provincial team that locates and apprehends parolees unlawfully at large in the province of Ontario, as well as anyone who:

• Escapes from secure custody
• Escapes from or walks away from non-secure custody
• Becomes unlawfully at large by violating bail, parole, or intermittent sentence terms

The ROPE Squad also assists other police services with locating and apprehending high-risk dangerous offenders.

With members located strategically throughout Ontario, the Squad has five operational teams comprised of representatives from the Ontario Provincial Police and 14 municipal and regional police services. 

The investigations and apprehensions conducted by the Provincial ROPE Squad are an excellent example of crime prevention as well as proactive and intelligence-led policing strategies that enhance public safety.

"Although the Sarnia Police Service does not have a member on the R.O.P.E. Squad, we have an excellent working relationship with our R.O.P.E. Squad counterparts and are able to support them and/or be supported by them to effectively deal with high risk and violent offenders in our community" – Deputy Chief Ron Hansen

Original Release:

https://www.sarniapolice.ca/news/478/active-investigation-kathleen-avenue-and-walnut-avenue-south/