Thursday, March 28, 2024

Here’s all the weird s**t that happened in Nanaimo last week

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If you’ve read Victoria Buzz long enough, you know that odd things tend to happen in Nanaimo from time to time.

Last week was no different, as Nanaimo RCMP reported six occurrences that were a bit out of the ordinary.

From macaroni tossing to Bitcoin scamming, there was never a dull moment. Here’s what went down:

  • At approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday, June 3, officers were dispatched to Commercial Street for a report of an intoxicated man throwing macaroni at passing taxis. Officers were able to find the suspect by following a trail of macaroni that he had discarded (sort of like Hansel and Gretel). When officers arrived, the so-called Macaroni Man offered them not macaroni, but a “middle finger salute.” He spent the night in jail.
  • Later that day, officers were called to the area of the Regional Library located on Hammond Bay Road following a report of a shirtless man running with an umbrella, and barely being able to keep his pants on. Despite scouring the area, police didn’t find the individual.
  • On Monday, June 4, police received a report of another individual falling victim to a CRA scam. In this instance, the victim had been convinced to purchase $3,500 in Bitcoin in order to avoid an immediate arrest for unpaid taxes. They did, and the money was transferred within the hour. (Nanaimo RCMP reminds everyone that the Canada Revenue Agency “is not and has never been and never will be” in the business of collecting Bitcoin, iTunes cards, gift cards, or gaming cards.)
  • At around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, officers were called to a Tim Horton’s in which an irate customer was flipping the bird at staff and customers. He eventually left before police arrived, and a search for an individual described as an angry guy with a long middle finger went nowhere.
  • Later that evening, officers were called about a report of a man “freaking out” and rolling around on the ground at the Beban Park Golf Course. When officers arrived, the man quickly got to his feet, only to deny the officers a chance to talk shop by sauntering off.
  • On Monday, June 11, officers responded to the Save-On-Foods at Brooks Landing for a report of a male shoplifter. The attending officer, who recently had a shoplifter run from her to avoid their arrest, was prepared for a foot chase if that’s what it came down to. However, the male was in no shape to run, as he was grossly intoxicated. He was slowly but surely guided to a waiting police vehicle and taken into custody.
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Myles Sauer
Former staff editor and writer at Victoria Buzz.

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