NEWS phots Cindy Goodman

Nome ............... Brenda
Aye 2.0.0... Bb
Occupation .... . . .purchosing derk
Favorite bond ........... -Hole
Favorite food . blueberries, artichokes

Special interest .. . . . .ploying piono
Future plons ... . . recently engoged

Katharine Hamer
Contributing Writer

AN early-bird burglar
had busy fingers
Tuesday morning.

The man broke into five
businesses in the Lonsdale
area:

@ 5:26 am.: Seandanavian
Building Maintenance, 245
Fell Ave. Stolen: computer
equipment;

fH 5:24 am.: Whitewater
Communications, 100-245
Fell Ave. Stolen: some com-
puter equipment and a tele-
vision;

@ 5:28 am.: Sunshine
Produce, 1200 Marine Dr.
Stolen: loose change;

@ 5:5) am.: First Class
Produce, 2011 Lonsdale
Ave. Nothing stolen but the
doors and the interior of the
store were damaged;

@ 5:59 am.: Hot House
Produce, 722-2601
Westview. Stolen: several
hundred dollars in cash.

The break-ins appear to
have been carried out at ran-
dom by the same suspect.
Police believe he was acting
alone.

The suspect was caught
on surveillance camera at onc
of the businesses.

He is olive-skinned and
about 30 to 40 years old,
. with balding dark hair and a
closely shaved moustache.
He was wearing a dark three-
quarter length jacket and
carrying a crowbar.

Anyone with information
is asked to contact North
Vancouver RCMP at 985-
1311 or Crime Stoppers at
669-TIPS.

Katharine Hamer
Contributing Writer

IT seems thar Chief Joe
Mathias of the
Squamish Nation has an
evil qvin brother.

Someone has heen imper

sonating the chief on and: off

for the Last dares years accord
ing to Mathias assistant Susie
Gibson,

Vhe impersonator has been
placing calls to businesses and
organizations across the Lower
Mainland, using Mathias’ name
toe try and obtain money and
credit items.

Gibson said that Last week
she had 12 cally in one day
trom bafiled business owners
who fad been bamboosled by
the rogue impersonator.

“hes pretty. dime-consum-
ing,” she said. “Pscem to spend
all dav on the phone with peo-
ple. There's nothing we can do
bur get the word out Gibout
this man)”

The caller never actually
appears in person. His modus
operandi involves telephoning
companies who the Squamish
Nation regularly deals with and
ordering items on credit. He
has also ordered taxis, booked
restaurant tables and hotels,
and attempted to wheedle
funds out of charitable groups,

Sometimes the man aiso
offers to set up a business deal
with people he calls, or detiver
them sinoked salmon.

When gullible individuals
agree to meet the man with
morey, they are directed to
drive to downtown Vancouver,
often to the Marble Arch Hotel
in the Downtown Eastside, A
runner will then walk up to
their vehicle and say, “Did Joe

THE smash and grab suspect in action on camera.

JAMES POYNER

Lawyer

( MIUOR PERSONAL INJURY

Free initial Consultation

988-6321

403-145 Chadwick Court N. Van.

(Lonsdale Quay Plaza)

NAME of Chief Joe
Mathias is used by
imposter.

send voul" Or, “Pim Joe's
nephew,” and take the money
from the individual.

“You would’: think people
would fall tor (the rasei,” said

guy phones and says he just
needs to borrow money for a
couple of hours. By the time
somcone’s driven’ downtown,
it'll rake a couple of hours any-
way.”

Recently, the impersonator
phoned a priest at 3:30 a.m,

le fe

Sunday, August 29, 1999 — North Shore News - 11

chinmng to be Mathias and ask-
ing for money to send his son
to Squamish fora tuneral.

Vhe man wanted the priest
to meet hinv immediately ata
bus depart in Vancouver,

The priest rerised. but
invited the caller to drop. by
during office hours. Fle never
turned up,

Gibsen says that confused
Aisitors frequently arrive at the
band office saving they had
arranged ao meeting with
Mathias.

No one appears to have any
clues ay to che identity of the
Impersonator, or know why he
is targeting the chief.

“Hes obviously seen (the
chie?’s) namie in the papers or
on TVS said) Gibson, “He's
very established and well-
known.”

Judy Ainsworth, of the
North Vancouver Chamber of
Commerce, said that she had a
collect call last surmmer from a
man saying he was Joe Mathias.

She said the man had “a
very good story.”

He told her he was at a
funeral in Squamish and asked
her for a Joan of S150 so he
could send a relative on a bus
to Eastern Canada.

r chief

“T know Joo Ainsworth
said, “SP was positive it wasn’t
his voice.”

Noactheless, Ainsworth
continued her conversation
with the man, and said that she
would be prepered te aise sim
the money if he could drop off
a cheque to her office.

He was quickly scared off,
and never tured up with a
cheque.

Rooney says that tracking
down the perpetrators ins this
case will be difficult, as the
caller has never been spoued
and the runners ~~ described
by witnesses only as native men
with a “drug addicr” look —
disappear as soon as they're
handed money.

“Tu would be easy jor people
to deny they had anvthing to
do with it,” said Rooney. “All
we can do is alert the public to
what's going on.”

Rooney advises people not
to believe the calles or agree to
vive them money. “Ask your-
selt,” he said, “Why would
Chief Mathias ask ate for $60?”

Rooney suggests anyone
who receives such a call contact
him at the North Vancouver
RCMP detachment immedi-
ately.

Cadets receive education cash

NORTH Shore resi-
dents are among 116
post-secondary students
from 8.C. who sre
heading to class this fall
with extra cash in their
pockets for tuition from
the Canadian Cadet
Scholarship Fund.

The money comes as a
resuit of their participation in
Royal Canadian Sea, Army and

Air Cadets.

In B.C, the J finistry of
Education, Skiils and Training
includes the cadet program on
its list of ministry accepted
external courses for which stu-
dents may receive graduation
credit.

Cadets attending grades 11
and 12 can carn tour credits
cach year by meeting specitic
levels of cadet training or qual-
ification including autendance
at summer camp.

Ae eT 1 FREE

FREE

ewing Glu
ie: Hotline

Recipients in North
Vancouver are Michelle Didier,
Patrick Frisch, Tyler Jeske and
Greg Grossling.

In West Vancouver the
recipients are Bernie Chung
and Kevin Wong.

Nearly 6,000 young pro-
ple, aged 12 to 18 will enroll
tor the first Gime or return to
116 cader corps and squadrons
located in 51) communities
throughout B.C. in
September.

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