THUNDER BAY – NEWS – A Windsor man has been arrested and charged with assault and theft of a motor vehicle after stealing a pick-up truck from a business that refused to rent to him in Thunder Bay on Thursday afternoon.
According to the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS), officers from the Primary Response Branch were dispatched to the 600 block of Squier Street just before 4:25 p.m. on April 13 after reports of a located stolen vehicle in the area.
Police investigation revealed that the vehicle had been stolen from the 700 block of Memorial Avenue just after 4 p.m. that same day.
Although the vehicle had left the Squier Street area when the police arrived, the vehicle was located again in the 900-block area of Carrick Street just before 6:30 p.m. TBPS officers were able to seize the vehicle and arrest the driver at that time.
Further investigation revealed that the accused, identified as 24-year-old Cody Alan HEDGES, had attempted to rent a pick-up truck from a business earlier but was refused due to apparent outstanding complaints by U-Haul. HEDGES then allegedly stole a set of keys from the business, assaulted an employee, and fled the area with the stolen vehicle.
HEDGES was transported to the TBPS headquarters at 1200 Balmoral Street, where he was charged with assault, theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
He appeared in bail court on Friday, April 14, and was remanded into custody with a future appearance date.
This incident serves as a reminder to businesses to be cautious when dealing with potential customers and to report any suspicious activities to the police immediately.
