Tuesday February 10, 2015 (Vol. 40 No. 12)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
Making the rounds: When it comes to golf, few are as committed as Rob Ezart and Vincent Yew, who’ve teed off at least once a week for the past three years, regardless of weather. i see page 19
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
Homeland Security agent poses online as 12-year-old girl
Youth coach arrested in U.S. sting Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
A Surrey volunteer who coaches youth soccer is facing charges in Washington after allegedly pursuing sex with a 12-year-old girl. According to a statement issued Wednesday, a 47-year-old was arrested last Tuesday (Feb. 3) afternoon at a park in Burlington, after crossing into the U.S. at Blaine.
The accused coaches a U16 boys team, and has been suspended until further notice, Surrey United Soccer Club executive director Martin Foden confirmed. According to a document filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Kuldip “Kelly” Singh Mahal is accused of responding to a “casual encounters” online post on Craigslist last month and communicating with what he
believed to be a 12-year-old girl. All suspect communications, however – including sexually explicit messages and photos – were actually exchanged with an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The communications continued even after the agent made “her” age clear, according to
the court document. “First off, i just want to make sure ur cool with my age, some guys get freaked out…” the agent states in an excerpt from a Jan. 15 email. Mahal is accused of texting a message the following day indicating he is fine with the age and asking the “girl” to “keep this only between us, no matter what.” i see page 4
Homicide rate drops
Property crime, auto theft soar Kevin Diakiw Black Press
Book smarts
Nick Greenizan photo
A quartet of Southridge School elementary students – Armaan Randhawa, Stephanie Lee, Serina St. James and Sarah Tisdale – put their impressive literary skills to good use this week, representing British Columbia Monday at the Kids’ Lit Quiz national finals in Toronto. See story page 9.
Canada Post working on ‘multi-pronged’ strategy
Spate of sophisticated mailbox robberies Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
More community mailboxes in South Surrey have been targeted by thieves. Surrey RCMP confirmed Friday that one of the boxes was broken into early Wednesday in the 14900-block of 22 Avenue, and residents report at least three others were hit in the Rosemary Heights area that morning. Police were alerted to the 22 Avenue incident just after 3 a.m., by a resident who heard a
crash and the sound of ripping metal and saw a small, dark vehicle drive away from the area. Subsequent patrols of the neighbourhood did not locate a suspect; all other community mailboxes in the area were intact, police said. Canada Post spokesperson Anick Losier told Peace Arch News from Ottawa that work is underway to strengthen targeted mailboxes. As well, a task force is working on a “multipronged strategy” to address the issue, which is a problem throughout the Lower Mainland,
she said, noting more than 60 people were arrested last year in connection with mail theft. Noting a “skyrocketing” crime rate in the area, Losier said options explored include a bait-mail program and use of security cameras. “Unfortunately, with these criminals, where there’s a will, there’s a way,” she said. “These criminals are sophisticated and they’re using anything at their disposal to try to get into these boxes. It’s pretty phenomenal, the type of effort we’re seeing.”
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While homicides dropped in Surrey last year, 2014 was still the fourth-highest year for murders in the city’s history. Surrey RCMP released its end-ofyear crime statistics last weekend, indicating there were 17 murders last year, down 32 per cent from 2013’s all-time record of 25. The next-highest year was in 2005, when Surrey logged 21 homicides, and 2009, when the city experienced 20 killings, according to B.C. Ministry of Justice figures. Last year, property crime jumped 24 per cent over 2013. Theft of motor vehicles skyrocketed 54 per cent and fraud was up 58 per cent. Incidents of stolen property also shot up by 47 per cent. The number of times Surrey residences were broken into increased by 24 per cent. Prostitution, however, was down in Surrey by 43 per cent last year and theft of merchandise over $5,000 decreased by 20 per cent. The statistics, available on the Surrey RCMP website at surrey. rcmp-grc.gc.ca, also break down figures by policing district. District 3, which includes Cloverdale and Port Kells, reported a 10-per-cent jump in violent crime, i see page 4