An unusual crime in Lake Country this week sparked frustration among residents in the Tyndall Road neighborhood.
On Jan. 2, a Lake Country RCMP officer went out along Tyndall Road after police were tipped off by multiple social media posts saying trees were being removed from local parks illegally.
Police say the officer noticed marks in the snow indicating that trees had been dragged down to the side of the road. The officer also found about 13 freshly-cut tree stumps along with one full-cut tree left behind.
“I think it’s sad. It’s such a beautiful park, why would you cut down trees and wreck it?” said Lakestone area resident Doug Cann.
“There are lots of burnt areas around. I’m sure someone could have been constructive instead of destructive.”
David Brook, who lives near Tyndall Road and walks along that area daily, said he saw two men cutting down trees in the middle of the day around the time of the incident.
“They parked on the side of the road, they were (dropping) trees and chopping logs and rolling them down the hill, loading them up in their van,” said Brook.
“It just seemed so blatant I thought they were doing it with permission. Who knows?”
With the help of photos from witnesses in the neighbourhood, police were able to identify a suspect vehicle and the two occupants.
Later in the day, the officer returned to the site and found the two male suspects actively removing freshly-cut trees from the park.
Both men were arrested and now face charges of theft under $5,000. However, police say the matter is still under investigation and further charges are possible
The two suspects are Lake Country residents and are also facing conditions to not be in any park in the city.
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