Delivery driver writes address on Waterloo home that did not display numbers A Waterloo, Ont., homeowner is looking for someone to make things right after he said a delivery driver vandalized his home almost two months ago. Jeff Owen and his family have lived at the home for roughly four years. They have never had a physical number displayed on the front of their house and say it was never an issue until a package they had ordered through Amazon was delivered to the home on June 20. “An Amazon driver had dropped off a package. He took a picture of it, walked to his car and came back. Before he came back, he looked both ways and came back and did some artist’s work on our brick,” said Owen. In surveillance footage, the driver can be seen writing the house number in marker. But, the family didn’t notice the addition to their facade for another few weeks. “We do not use the front door. We always go through the garage,” explained Owen, who is also a home builder that has built most of the homes on his street. “He had no right to be writing on my work, damaging my house.” In an emailed statement to CTV News, an Amazon spokesperson said the company regrets this situation “did not live up to the standard our customers expect.” “We’ve been in communication with the customer and have worked directly with them to make it right. This item was sold by a third-party seller and was not fulfilled or delivered by Amazon,” they said. Amazon shared the details of both the third-party seller and delivery carrier with Owen. “The phone number we were given was a number from China, which didn’t exist,” Owen said. CTV News also attempted to contact both companies, but the numbers were not in service at the time of the call. Although it’s been a frustrating situation for Owen to deal with, ecommerce experts said third-party sellers are quite common nowadays. “You have your own store. So you build your store and Amazon, Walmart, Etsy, they are all marketplaces,” explained Marianne Soucy, the owner of Litchi Marketing. “You can have FBA, which means ‘fulfilled by Amazon.’ So you ship your goods to Toronto, to Calgary, at their warehouse and the little robots ship for you every day,” she explained. “There’s also FBM, which is ‘fulfilled by merchant.’” Meanwhile, Owen said he’s still angry about the permanent marker and is working to cover it up. He’s contacted several graffiti companies to inquire about the removal. In the City of Waterloo, there is a bylaw requiring homeowners to have a clearly visible house number displayed on the property. Owen said his family has since ordered the numbers for their house. Father pushing empty wheelchair to Queens Park for daughter in need of life-saving surgery The ‘Miles4Amiracle’ walk passed through Paris, Ont. on Aug. 23. Joe Gesualdi of London began his walk from his London home on Aug. 4th, with the goal of ending at Queens Park on Sept. 16th. Gesualdi is pushing an empty wheelchair representing his daughter Syndey who requires spinal surgery. “It’s necessary for me to take this extreme step to get the attention, to raise the funds that we need to get surgery, to raise the awareness and bring this expertise back home where it belongs,” said Gesualdi. Sydney Gesualdi, then 24, suffered a catastrophic neck injury in July 2023 when her vehicle was struck from behind while stopped at a red light at the intersection of Byron Avenue and Wharncliffe Road South in London. The severe trauma resulted in her neck being unable to support her head, leading to a condition known as tethered cord syndrome. According to Gesualdi, navigating the Ontario healthcare system has been impossible. “We were rejected by ten neurosurgeons in London, Ontario and the GTA and we were left with no treatment options,” he said. Not covered by OHIP, Gesualdi says the found a surgeon in New York who can do the required procedure, but it comes with the price tag of $493,700. Joe, who spends time on his weekends and off days to walk in segments, is going to Queens Park to advocate to have this surgery, and others covered by the province. “You know that the gap exists, you know that there is no treatment pathway, and there has been no action taken to serve this community that desperately needs this life changing surgery.” The Gesualdi’s are also using the walk to raise money for Sydney’s surgery. They have a website and started a GoFundMe account to help pay for the procedure. The Gesualdi’s are planning a rally at Queens Park and a media conference to advocate for their daughter. With files from CTV London’s Gerry Dewan Mother sentenced to 12 months jail after burning down son’s restaurant Sonya Larson has been sentenced to 12 months in jail, plus two years of probation and 60 hours of community service, for setting fire to a restaurant in Bayfield, Ont. that was owned by her son. Flames tore through The Hub on the Docks on Oct. 17, 2023. Damage to the building was extensive. The loss was initially estimated at $1.2 million, but increased to $1.7 million. Larson, 64, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with break and enter, arson and possession of incendiary material. Court heard Larson also set other fires in the days leading up to the final incident. Surveillance footage from Oct. 13, 2023 showed her entering the closed restaurant and using paper from the garbage to start fires in two areas. The flames went out on their own. Three days later, Larson was seen on surveillance video entering the closed restaurant and disabling the alarm system. She allegedly lit a fire in the men’s bathroom, but it too went out on its own. On Oct. 17, 2023, Larson was caught on camera again. It showed the 64-year-old entering the closed restaurant and, once again, disabling the alarm system. Larson was seen carrying a cardboard box and a flashlight. She walked through the dining area to the kitchen, and when she left a short time later, heavy smoke was then seen wafting into the room. When delivering Larson’s sentence, the judge cited her repeated efforts to set the restaurant on fire. “In all attempts she disabled the alarm,” said Justice T.G. Macdonald. “[It] shows planning and carrying out that planning.” He also noted the extent of the damage. “The fire had an incredibly high level of loss and damage... [and] created a danger to the community.” Larson pleaded guilty to one count of arson on May 4, 2026. Her motive remains unclear. In sentencing submissions, Larson explained that she was in a “dark place” in October 2023 and didn’t remember setting the fire. “I had a breaking point,” she said in a police interview. The Hub on the Docks never reopened after the fire. Kevin Larson’s statement Larson’s sentencing was originally scheduled for Aug. 12. The proceedings were delayed until Aug. 20 so her son could submit a victim impact statement. In it, Kevin Larson touched on the financial impact of the fire. “I lost over a million dollars, after insurance,” he wrote. “The property went under power of sale. I received nothing from the final sale.” “It’s not just me,” he told CTV News after the sentencing. “We had investors that lost and we had staff that lost... we’re still dealing with some staff issues.” Then there were the personal repercussions. “I have been dragged through public stories, that are often wrong, including the suggestion that I somehow am responsible for this,” he said. “I am the one who lost everything.” Kevin Larson has not been implicated or accused of any involvement in the fire, as stated in the court’s agreed statement of facts. He said he’s focused on forgiveness and hopes to rebuild his relationship with his mother. “I have no fear of her. I am not afraid for my children around her. I am afraid of what this process is going to do to all of us,” Kevin Larson explained. “She’s an amazing grandmother. She is constantly involved, especially in my sister’s life with her children.” All of the “Hub” restaurants closed by 2024, including its flagship location in Stratford. That same year, Kevin Larson faced 15 fraud-related charges in an unrelated matter. Those charges were later withdrawn. In 2025, another 31 fraud-related charges were laid against Kevin Larson. According to the Crown attorney’s office, they were eventually combined into two counts. Kevin Larson is expected back in court for a hearing on Sept. 18. With reporting from Jeff Pickel Another Canadian charged in international drug trafficking scheme Another Canadian has been charged for his alleged role in an international drug trafficking network. The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) said the 24-year-old man was arrested at a home in Cambridge, Ont., on Aug. 26 and charged him with exporting cocaine and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. They did not identify the man but said he played a key role in the drug ring. “We would refer to him as the recruiter’s boss. So he coordinated some of the efforts to ensure the exportation occurred,” said Staff Sgt. Ian Young, with WRPS. In September 2025, customs agents at Hong Kong International Airport found 25 kilograms of cocaine in a checked suitcase belonging to a Cambridge woman. Jade, who was 19 years old at the time, was one of four Canadians arrested in Hong Kong over a four-month period. Officials said they recovered almost 100 kilograms of cocaine in their luggage. W5, the investigative reporting unit at CTV News, spoke to the four alleged drug mules. Jade said she had responded to a job posting for an “international package shipper” with a salary of $5,000 per trip. In a text conversation with the recruiter, she was also told her employer would “pay your flights, accommodation, food.” W5 identified Jade’s alleged recruiter as Cameron DeSousa. He denied any knowledge of the trafficking scheme. “I thought it was jewelry,” he told W5’s Avery Haines. “I promise I thought it was jewelry. I don’t know, I am literally just a sales rep.” Waterloo Regional Police arrested DeSousa on Aug. 13 and charged him with exporting a schedule I substance and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. They also arrested a 36-year-old Markham man in June. Alexander Kwan was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession for the purpose of exportation. Investigators believe he was a driver for the couriers. The alleged drug mules identified their boss as “Dot,” who used punctuation as his signature. They also told W5 the “Dot” network was actively recruiting young people in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Cocaine sells for about $200 a gram in Hong Kong, more than double the going rate in Canada. The penalties are also severe. Unless the accused Canadians can prove they didn’t know about the drugs, they could be sentenced to life behind bars. Jade’s mother, Naderia, said Jade has spent this week in court preparing documents for her defence. “Despite authorities here looking at Jade as a victim , she’s seen by Hong Kong authorities as a criminal,” Naderia told CTV Kitchener. Naderia said the case is far from closed. “The way I view the arrest is justice for her and what they have done to her, what they have taken away from us,” she said. Naderia admits it has been difficult being without her daughter but they can’t give up. “I continue to fight for my daughter and innocent people that they have trafficked,” she said With reporting from W5’s Avery Haines Thousands of dollars worth of bedding stolen from Guelph business: GPS The Guelph Police Service are trying to identify three women who stole nearly $1,900 worth of bedding and other items from a business in Guelph’s south-end. Investigators said the incident happened Aug. 6 around 5 p.m. at a business on Stone Road West. The suspects allegedly placed large amounts of bedding, curtains, and rugs in their carts and left the store without paying. Police described the first suspect as a 20 to 25-year-old 5’3” woman of slim build with brown hair in a bun, wearing a black and white dress with pink and white running shoes. The second suspected was described as a 20 to 25-year-old 5’4” woman of medium build with brown hair in a bun wearing a dark brown dress and white shoes. The third suspect was described as a 30 to 35-year-old 5’6” woman of medium build with brown hair in a bun, wearing a pink and black dress, black shoes and carrying a black purse. Anyone with information is asked to call Guelph Police at 519-824-1212, ext. 7217.
