A couple of paranormal investigators were charged on Monday with three counts of mischief in connection with vandalized police vehicles last March.
Danick Goupil, 39, and Sylvie Comtois, 53, appeared Monday at the Montreal courthouse. The facts of which they are accused would have occurred on the evening of March 8, according to court documents whose The Press obtained a copy, but which have not yet undergone the test of the courts.
PHOTO FROM SYLVIE COMTOIS’ FACEBOOK PAGE
Sylvie Comtois and Danick Goupil
The suspects then allegedly punctured the tires of 18 patrol vehicles of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) located in three stations in the city, just one hour after being given a statement of offense and having insulted the agent who gave it to them.
Around 9:30 p.m., images captured by surveillance cameras at neighborhood station (PDQ) 22, in the Center-South, show a suspect, later identified as Mr. Goupil, approaching a patrol vehicle. . He then makes “a movement with his right arm towards the front tire [côté] driver,” according to the documents. The suspect reportedly repeated his gesture on two other patrol vehicles before “running off”.
Less than an hour later, the cameras of a Tesla brand vehicle parked near the Eclipse group police station on rue Hochelaga reportedly saw Mr. Goupil. Footage reportedly shows him puncturing two tires of the same vehicle before the ‘camera footage cuts out’. It was an SPVM agent who later found that 13 vehicles had been vandalized.
Finally, around 11:15 p.m., Danick Goupil reportedly targeted two other patrol vehicles, this time in the parking lot behind PDQ 38.
“Suspicious vehicle”
A white SUV identified as a “suspicious vehicle” was seen not far from neighborhood stations 22 and 38 when the misdeeds took place. The images from the surveillance cameras showed in particular the passenger side door of the vehicle opening and “Danick Goupil walking towards the patrol vehicles” of PDQ 38. “ [Le suspect] attacks the tires of the vehicles before returning to the parked vehicle”, which then leaves the scene.
A logo on the front door of the SUV “resembles the logo of the film ghostbusters “, can we read in the documents.
It is from this information that the SPVM would have unearthed the Ghostbusters Montreal Facebook page, where there were photos of a vehicle corresponding to ” [celui] used to commit misdeeds”. There are also photos of Danick Goupil and Sylvie Comtois, investigators in paranormal phenomena.
PHOTO FROM GHOSTBUSTERS MONTREAL FACEBOOK PAGE
The company vehicle Ghostbusters Montreal
The SUV is later identified as belonging to Sylvie Comtois – it was she who was the driver at the time of the charges against the suspects, according to the SPVM.
Statement of offence
On the evening of March 8, a statement of offense “was served on Sylvie Comtois”, according to information obtained by The Press. The ticket was issued for a violation of section 239 of the Highway Safety Code, which stipulates that a vehicle “cannot be equipped with flashing or rotating lights of any color whatsoever”.
Less than an hour after Mme Comtois was given the statement of offense, the suspects would have gone to PDQ 22.
However, the officer who gave the report to Mme Comtois reportedly “noticed a vehicle with a flashing red and blue light in the windshield.” The officer initially thought it was an unmarked law enforcement vehicle before realizing it was more of an SUV “with Ghostbuster lettering.” “When the statement is served, [l’agent] hears “eat shit” shouted by the passenger of the vehicle”, we learn in the court documents.
Joined by The Press, Danick Goupil and Sylvie Comtois preferred not to comment on the case. “We will let the court take care of it, the only thing we can say is that we are not guilty,” said Mr. Goupil. The three counts the couple face each relate to mischief over $5,000.