THUNDER BAY – A graduation party at a gravel pit on Escape Lake Road has police looking to find the person or persons who damaged equipment at the site. The Ontario Provincial Police report that on June 11th, they arrived at the gravel pit to find about two hundred young people at the site.
Police spoke to the youth, and discovered that it was a graduation party that included students from St. Ignatius High School in Thunder Bay.
OPP Officers conducted a Reduced Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) program on Escape Lake Road.
Officers also conducted foot patrols of the area and located two front loaders parked in the pit that were heavily damaged. All of the glass windows on the front end loaders were smashed as well as there was damage to the engines and interiors.
The OPP recorded approximately forty licence plate numbers at the site. The registered owners of the vehicles can expect to be contacted by the OPP as they conduct their investigation.
The OPP state that the police are becoming increasingly concerned regarding these gatherings as these parties are becoming more common. Not only is there concern for the criminal behaviour that occurs but foremost, the safety of those that are in attendance.
OPP are continuing their investigation into this incident. Anyone with information pertaining to this crime is urged to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).