VANCOUVER -- A bizarre discovery along two Port Coquitlam trails has prompted a warning from local Mounties.
Coquitlam officers say they were alerted to two lemons that had needles sticking out of them and were tied to trees with orange twine.
The first, found on June 22, was spotted on a branch in Gates Park. Police say a report was made to the city.
The second, found on July 14, was found on a trail near Coquitlam River at Whyte Avenue. That lemon was reported to a community police station.
But police say that's not how the incidents should have been reported.
"If you see something that could be a deliberate attempt at harm, you must call police on the phone rather than send an email," Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said in a news release.
"Both of these lemons were thrown into the garbage by the people who found them. By the time police received the emails, the evidence was gone and an investigation was virtually impossible."
Police say it's "hard to be sure" someone intended harm and are hoping to speak to the person who left them out.
"If you are leaving these lemons full of needles in public, we ask that you stop, and then talk to us to explain what you were doing," McLaughlin said.
Anyone who actively sees someone placing the lemons should call 911. Anyone with more information is asked to call the non-emergency line at 604-945-1550.
