Probation for copper theft leading to gas leak

A 47-year-old man who stole a copper pipe from the basement of a rooming house, resulting in a potentially deadly environment after the building filled with natural gas, said he didn’t know the pipe was attached to the furnace. Joey Larue was originally charged with mischief endangering life following the May 27 incident. He pleaded guilty Thursday in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines to a charge of mischief under $5,000. He was placed on probation for two years and ordered to stay away from the St. Catharines rooming house and its tenants. Court was told Larue had been a tenant in a rooming house on Haynes Avenue for about three months. When he lost his job and couldn’t pay his rent, he decided to remove the copper pipes from the basement and sell them. What he didn’t realize, however, was one of the pipes was attached to the furnace. He also attempted to steal a second pipe, this one attached to the water lines, said assistant Crown attorney Jacqueline Strecansky. When a tenant arrived home later that day, court was told, she smelled gas and went to the basement where she discovered the floor covered in water. The St. Catharines fire department was called in and crews determined the furnace had been “intentionally compromised” and contacted police. The gas leak was contained and capped. No injuries were reported. Defence counsel David Kerr said his client admitted to police he stole the pipe but said he didn’t intend to cause anyone harm because he didn’t realize the pipe was connected to the gas line. driver refused to pull over, leading police on a chase. Police used a stop stick to deflate two of the vehicle’s tires and the car drove into a field. The suspects then got out and ran on foot in the area of Twenty Mile Road and Mountain Road. The trio was subsequently arrested. Defence lawyer Tara Mimnagh said her client is remorseful for his actions and said the crime was “substance motivated. “He previously struggled with cocaine and now opiates … the worst of the worst, heroin and fentanyl,” she told the judge. In addition to jail, Mailhot is prohibited from having any weapons in his possession for the rest of his life and must submit a DNA sample to the courts. The two other suspects remain before the courts. had just occurred. A victim was located outside the back parking lot that exits onto Ontario Street with an injury to his head. Police said he was taken to hospital with significant injury to his face and head. The suspect is a male white, about 25 to 30 years of age. Investigators are urging anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the 1 District detective office at 905-688-4111 ext. 4307 or 4358.