Man Flees Police at Stone Road Mall After Smoking Bong in Vehicle

What began as a driving complaint Saturday afternoon led to several drug and other criminal charges for a Guelph man.

Approximately 1:25 p.m. a witness reported a man smoking from a bong in the driver’s seat of a vehicle outside Stone Road Mall. Officers located the vehicle unoccupied and entered the mall in an attempt to identify him. When officers found him, the man fled on foot, running out of the mall and towards a nearby townhouse complex where he was apprehended and provided a name later determined to be false.

A witness reported seeing him dumping some of his property while he was running. The property was located and found to contain suspected controlled substances.

Officers recovered approximately $1,700 worth of suspected fentanyl and cocaine, more than $1,200 in cash, measuring scales and two knives. The man’s true identity was determined and it was learned he is on bail with several conditions including house arrest and prohibitions against driving and possessing weapons.

A 45-year-old Guelph man is charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, obstructing police, two counts of driving while prohibited and five counts of breaching a bail order. He was held for a bail hearing Tuesday.