An observant resident helped local police capture two youths suspected of spraying graffiti in the Hillside Avenue area on Dec. 6.
"The witness saw the two kids, and called 911 and gave a physical description," said Station 12 Constable Adalbert Pimentel.
Police quickly headed to the area and arrested the suspects on Ste. Catherine Street around 10:15 p.m.
"They were arrested; they had paint on their hands— it was a no-brainer," Pimentel said, adding that three spray paint cans and grey, black and white Sharpie paint pens were found in their possession.
The two youths are facing mischief charges and may be responsible for the estimated $5,000-plus damages to the wall and a post office box they are believed to have tagged.
"This will follow them for a very long time," Pimentel said.Investigators will compare the tags to others in the city, and the youths may be faced with additional charges.
"It could mean a lot more hours of community service," he said. "And it places a lot of setbacks for travel and job opportunities. And (they) can be liable for more damages."
Westmount Public Security and Station 12 police officers held a friendly hockey game on Dec. 17, raising $450 for a Westmount charity.
"The Public Security officers and the recreation department won 8-3," said Westmount Public Security's Sgt. David Sedgwick. "It was close for the last 20 minutes or so, then the flood gates opened."
This is the second year Westmount's security forces have competed for charity, but the traditional hockey game has been an ongoing tradition for a few years, "whenever there's ice time available," said Sedgwick. Last year, the police won, he added.
The money will go to an as-yet unnamed charity in the new year.
