Crime and Media, 21st Century Edition
I had intended to write an article about the lawsuits that our local hospital system has filed against various former employees and other persons, alleging complicity in a long-running fraud that cost the hospital system 10s of millions of dollars. I may yet do so, right now I have little to say that is not already on the record, but I am still poking away.
Instead, this is about a different crime committed in London, which you may also have read about. An employee of a bar on Richmond Street, located somewhere between Central and Dufferin, which is to say, the area across from Victoria Park, was stabbed at 3:30pm last Monday. The victim was taken to the hospital critically injured. The perpetrator, one Leslie Jacob James Dentelbeck, 33, of London, was located and arrested on Wednesday morning.
Now, the London Free Press story on this does not name the accused, I got it from the London Police News site. Hockey players accused of sexual assault the Freeps will name and show pictures of, but not this guy.
Here’s the other thing about Dentelbeck the Freeps does not mention in their story, which is essentially a cut and paste job from the London Police web site. This guy has been arrested and charged many times before, a fact that was laid out by a commenter on the Freeps story, to whom we are all indebted. Someone is willing to do some reporting…..
Here is a partial accounting of what our friend Dentelbeck has been up to:
March 18, 2025 –
Failing to stop for police/pursuit;
Two (2) counts of possession of firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order;
Two (2) counts of careless storage of firearm, weapon, prohibited device;
June 28, 2024 –
Failing to stop for police/pursuit;
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000;
Dangerous operation of a conveyance;
Resisting arrest;
Failing to stop at scene of accident;
Two police cruisers were damaged to the tune of $10k
April 22, 2022 –
Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle;
Impaired operation of a motor vehicle;
Resisting arrest;
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5000; and
Two (2) counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5000.
Another $2k damage to police cruisers.
This is just the list of charges against him by the police, as laid out on the London Police website for these various previous occurrences. What we do not know is whether the public prosecutor took any of these charges to court or whether they were dropped. It is not up to the police what happens once a suspect is brought before a judge, so it doesn’t appear on the police web site. If it appears somewhere, I don’t know where. If anyone does, do let me know.
Whatever is true about that, our man Leslie Jacob James Dentelbeck, 33, of London, has now graduated to stabbing someone. He fled the scene of the stabbing on a scooter, so no ‘operation of a motor vehicle’ charges this time. LPS says he was charged with ‘aggravated assault’ and ‘breach of probation’.
He is still in custody, but scheduled to appear in court on the day I am writing this. I predict we will never find out if he is released from custody again after today’s court appearance. Unless, of course, he commits another crime afterward.
This person has been involved in criminal activity on a repeated basis for at least three years. He has now critically injured someone who was just trying to do their job. It seems to me of considerable interest to the London community to know what becomes of Dentelbeck after this. But our local media – the Freeps. CBC London, CTV – has few resources, and no interest in devoting them to following what happens here.
The CBC has an article headlined ‘Frustration builds as province delays delivering new homeless hub’
CBC is always up for covering that mean old Conservative provincial government.
The Freeps has a nice story that ‘explains’ why you have more fireflies in your backyard this year. Good to know, eh?
I don’t have cable any more. If CTV London follows up on what happens to Dentelbeck after today, someone let me know, ok? I won’t hold my breath…
What else is there to say? This is the 21st century Canadian justice system in operation, along with its keen coverage by our trusted, reliable, news sources.
Epilogue: Writing now a day after posting the above. Today’s Freeps has a follow-up story in which the establishment at which the stabbed employee worked is named – Joe Kool’s, a long-standing bar. It also notes that he was a manager there, and is now listed by the hospital as in ‘fair condition’, so there is that to be grateful for. The story still does not name the accused, nor tell us what happened when he went before a judge yesterday.
Others who work in or manage shops nearby are interviewed, one of them stating that a person had stood outside his establishment causing a disturbance for 40 minutes and threatening to stab him. His call to the police resulted in no police showing up. This is consistent with stories I have been told by a friend who also runs an establishment in that area. The police do not show up when you call about someone causing a disturbance or stealing. The guy interviewed in the Freeps article is quoted thusly: “They (police) don’t even show up no matter how many times I call them, but the foot patrol is good; when I call them. They show up.”
I am left to wonder what that means. Is calling the ‘foot patrol’ different from calling the police? Do they have a separate number that merchants are given?
Later in the article, we have this:
“When asked about merchants’ comments about police response, London Police Sgt Sandasha Bough would only speak to Monday’s stabbing investigation.”
She then spits out a boiler plate paragraph saying what a wonderful job LPS did in this case. I won’t repeat it. The quote concludes with:
“If somebody is complaining about the police, then we encourage them to go through a complaint process.”
Yea, of course you do. Fill out form PC-6759-BS and we will get back to you.