24-hour 'overnight challenge' shut down, man behind videos apologizes

CTV Ottawa: 24-hour challenger calls it quits CTV's Joanne Schnurr on the about face for 'Jay Station' whose sneaky overnight challenge might land him in trouble.

The man behind the overnight stunts in Ottawa area stores says he's shutting it down. “JayStation”, as he calls himself, apologized on YouTube, after police threatened to charge him.

His videos are getting thousands of views but they are also drawing a lot of attention from the police and the media.

Our story on the 24-hour overnight challenge on CTV News prompted an apology less than 24 hours later.“Hey guys, back with another 24 hour overnight challenge,” it is how JayStation starts most of his videos.  But his latest video had a completely different start, “

“Hey guys, I have some really bad news I’m about to tell you.”

JayStation goes on to talk about the exposure his video got through CTV News, CFRA and other media outlets yesterday,

“Somehow the news got ahold of it,” he tells his on-line viewers.

The media weren’t the only ones.  Ottawa Police are looking into charges and that spooked the man behind the videos.

“I'm making this video to tell you I can no longer make these 24-hour challenges because I am risking my freedom to do that and I’m not willing to do that.”

For the last few weeks, JayStation has hidden out in businesses overnight videotaping himself and often a buddy, as they run through the RedBlacks stadium, for instance, or the Bay department store on Rideau or the Merivale Bowling Centre triggering alarms and police.  They were not amused.

“It is an illegal act,” Staff Sergeant Mike Haarbosch, with the Ottawa Police break and enter unit told CTV news yesterday. They were looking to shut him down.

“I’ve never been so scared in all my life,” JayStation says in his video posted overnight.  It also included an apology to the Ottawa Police for wasting their time and to businesses for wasting their money in responding to what appeared to be a break and enter.  He promised to stop and issued a warning to others.

“Do not attempt doing this, you will get in a lot of trouble.”

For Ottawa police, an apology didn’t cut it.

“From our perspective, that doesn’t change a lot,” Staff-Sergeant Haarbosch said in an interview today, after viewing the apology, “potentially there will be conversation with property owners to let them know where investigation stands.  They may have another take on it.”

While technically these aren't considered break and enters, there is a component under the Criminal Code dealing with breaking out but generally that's tied into property damage or theft.

JayStation made it clear he did neither, “I did not damage any property,” he said in his apology, “I never broke into any of these places and I didn’t steal anything.”

While he makes it clear that wasn't his intention, Bayshore Shopping Centre General Manager says his actions are risky and illegal.

“Even though it seems innocuous, they aren't,” says Denis Pelletier, “we don't want people to get hurt.”

Pelletier says his security has reviewed the on-line videos and reviewed their own security measures.

In the meantime, “JayStation” has promised he's done, except for one more video he posted today, at Saunders Farm, overnight of course.