Wednesday - Oct. 8 - Chilliwack RCMP arrest two for fentanyl, MDMA trafficking

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Good morning!

I love ice cream. Probably more than the average person; some days, I forgo meals and eat a bowl of ice cream for breakfast or lunch. But I recently discovered that someone out there loves ice cream more than I do: Mission’s Ice Cream Bandit.

A couple of weeks ago, Mission RCMP published a press release about a suspect they dubbed “the ice cream caper.” I like “Ice Cream Bandit” better, but that’s my preference.

Apparently, a man who looks to be in his 30s stole around $300 worth of ice cream from a supermarket in Mission. He went to the same supermarket three times, and each time, he stole a large quantity of ice cream and nothing else, and just walked out of the store.

It made perfect sense for me to steal ice cream and nothing else from a supermarket, not that I would ever do such a thing. I definitely don’t advocate that you steal from a supermarket, but hypothetically, if you were to shoplift a food item from a supermarket, what would it be?

– Lubna

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News

Yours, mine, and ours: How do kids learn about ownership?

UFV psychologist Madison Pesowski is researching how children learn about the concept of ownership 📸 Shutterstock

Two pairs of childish hands pull at the toy truck. “That’s my truck!” “No, that’s my truck!”

It passes between them several times before finally ending up in one child’s lap. The victor begins playing. The loser runs off to sob in their parent’s lap.

Watching the tussle, you may shake your head and think, “They just don’t know any better.”

But is that really the case?

UFV psychologist Madison Pesowski isn’t so sure.

“When you walk into a toddler’s room, and one kid's fighting another kid because he wants the toy, maybe it's not about a lack of understanding of ownership,” Pesowski said. Instead, she believes there may be limitations to how kids can act on their complex understanding of yours, mine, and ours.

“There was a meme going around about toddler property rules: if it's in my hand, it's mine. If I like it, it's mine. If I need it, it's also mine,” she said. “But … two-year-olds actually expect people to be upset when their property is taken by other people without permission or if it's lost, suggesting that they actually understand the consequences of what happens to owners when property rights are violated.”

Now, Pesowski is undertaking new research with kids in the Fraser Valley to figure out exactly how kids learn about property rules, and how sophisticated their understanding really is.

Related

Need to Know

🏠 Regional property transactions rose modestly last month despite ongoing price erosion, with Langley condominium activity showing particularly strong gains as affordability improvements attract hesitant purchasers [Langley Advance Times]

🏗️ British Columbia's premier joined union leaders in launching a massive vocational education complex in Chilliwack where thousands of members will receive commercial transportation and construction equipment certification [Chilliwack Progress]

🚔 Weekend law enforcement activities in Abbotsford encompassed hundreds of calls including illegal border crossings, weapon-related incidents, and traffic violations resulting in multiple custody detentions [Fraser Valley Today]

🎓 A UFV political science major earned top student leadership recognition for coordinating responses during prolonged transit disruptions, securing academic calendar changes, and participating in international peace negotiations [University of the Fraser Valley]

💊 A prolonged criminal probe culminated in charges against two suspects and discovery of an active drug manufacturing operation, with federal specialists continuing to process hazardous materials at multiple locations [Chilliwack Progress]

🏞️ Visitors can now access the complete Coquihalla Canyon tunnel system through month's end after provincial parks completed additional flood restoration work, with final repairs scheduled before next year's season [Hope Standard]

🎾 Municipal leaders declined neighborhood requests for recreational facilities at a city park plagued by transient occupation, explaining acoustic standards and proximity requirements prevent court installation [Fraser Valley Today]

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The Agenda

RCMP cruiser in the Lower Mainland. 📸 Shutterstock

Chilliwack RCMP arrest two for fentanyl, MDMA trafficking

On Oct. 2, members of the Chilliwack RCMP Crime Reduction Unit, the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team (LMD IERT), the RCMP Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team (CLEAR), the Chilliwack Serious Crime Unit, and the General Investigation Section (GIS) searched two homes on South Sumas Road in Chilliwack. They also searched two storage lockers as part of the same investigation into drug trafficking and production.

According to a media release by Chilliwack RCMP, the investigation started in early 2025.

“Surveillance and investigative techniques led officers to identify 35-year-old Justin Fauth and 37-year-old Carlos Martinez as key suspects involved in the distribution of fentanyl in the Chilliwack area,” Chilliwack RCMP said.

Officers arrested Fauth and Martinez on Oct. 2 and seized their vehicles. They found a fentanyl and MDMA laboratory, suspected fentanyl, precursor chemicals, and equipment.

Although fentanyl production can pose serious risks to the community, the police said experts are on site to secure and safely dismantle the drug-manufacturing operations.

“Health Canada chemists and members of E Division CLEAR remain on site to safely dismantle and process the lab,” Chilliwack RCMP said in a statement. “The storage lockers have been secured and will also be processed by CLEAR. Fentanyl trafficking and its production pose a serious risk to the community; however, the locations have been secured by police.”

The investigation is still active and ongoing, and the police are conducting searches in other areas.

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🗓 Things to do

Locality After Dark - Ted Kim: Locality Brewing hosts live music on Friday, October 10 from 5:00-8:00 PM at 7111 252 St in Langley, featuring performer Ted Kim as part of their October-December concert series.

Enchanted Brooms Craft Night: Black Casket Café in Abbotsford presents a witch broom-making workshop on Saturday, October 11 from 7:00-9:30 PM at 30468 Great Northern Avenue, with supplies, charcuterie board, and beverage included.

Thanksgiving Pies Workshop: Rise Baking Lab teaches participants to create apple and pumpkin pies from scratch on Saturday, October 11 at 9:00 AM in a three-hour hands-on class for $168, with students taking home their completed pie and recipes.

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