Repeat offender charged after RCMP respond to vehicle break-ins in Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

Bradley Pinsent, 61, was arrested and charged early Friday morning, Oct. 9, 2026 after the RCMP responded to a report of a man trying to enter vehicles parked along Station Road in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Police also determined Pinsent was in violation of his court-imposed release conditions, and charged him with failing to comply.

The call came in approximately 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 9 when a concerned citizen reported suspicious activity in the area of the church on Station Road in Grand Falls-Windsor. The caller provided a physical and clothing description of a person attempting to access cars in the lot.

Pinsent was located inside a vehicle and when police approached he fled on foot. After a brief pursuit he was taken into police custody without incident a short distance away.

Police determined Pinsent was not the registered owner of the vehicle he had gained entry to.

He was held in custody and appeared in provincial court on Friday. He faces Criminal Code charges including possessing property obtained by crime under $5,000, theft under $5,000 and failing to comply with a release order condition.

The investigation continues and additional charges are possible.

Residents in the area of Station Road are asked to check their vehicles for any sign of illegal entry and theft and report any findings to their local police. Anyone with doorbell, surveillance or dash camera footage of this incident is also encouraged to contact Grand Falls-Windsor RCMP at 709-489-2121.

St. Anthony RCMP arrested a 33-year-old woman on Oct. 11 after responding to a structure fire on Moores Drive in the town. No one was injured in the fire, and the woman was charged with arson, breaking and entering and breach of court-ordered conditions.

Police observed a fire at a commercial building near the wharf in St. Anthony. Officers searched the building and found no one inside.

Several structures in the area were impacted by the fire, which was extinguished by the St. Anthony Volunteer Fire Department.

A short time later, the suspect was located nearby and arrested without incident and transported to local hospital.

The 33-year-old woman was charged with arson, breaking and entering and failure to comply with her court-imposed conditions.

The provincial Fire Commissioner’s Office has been engaged.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident, including anyone with surveillance or dash camera footage from the area on Sunday night, is asked to contact St. Anthony RCMP as soon as possible at 709-454-3543.

To share information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

Fogo Island RCMP seized a vehicle from a driver found operating with a suspended licence and no insurance during a traffic stop in Joe Batt’s Arm on Friday night, Oct. 9.

Around 8:10 p.m., officers conducting proactive patrols in the Main Street area of Joe Batt’s Arm conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle pulling into a business parking lot. The driver was confirmed to be operating with a suspended driver’s licence, and the vehicle did not hold a valid insurance policy.

The driver, a 44-year-old man, was issued summary offence tickets under the Highway Traffic Act, and his vehicle was seized by police and impounded.