Person in critical condition following assault, fire: OPP

A Tillsonburg resident faces charges after an individual sustained life-threatening injuries in an assault and fire

A Tillsonburg resident faces charges after an individual sustained life-threatening injuries in a weekend assault and fire, provincial police say. Police, fire and paramedic crews responded to a reported assault in the Prospect Street area about 4:45 p.m. Saturday, Oxford OPP said. An individual was taken to hospital with serious injuries and remains in critical condition.

During the response, emergency services also were called to a structure fire on Prospect Street, police said. An increased police presence was maintained in the area while Oxford OPP, dog and county crime units and the West Region emergency response team investigated, police said. A 41-year-old Tillsonburg resident is charged with aggravated assault and arson, police said.

They were held pending a bail hearing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Oxford OPP at 1-888-310-1122, or *OPP (*677) from a mobile device. Anonymous tips can be provided through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Hunter fined $3,000 for unlawful deer hunt An Essex man has been fined $3,000 after pleading guilty to unlawfully hunting during a controlled deer hunt in Southwestern Ontario. The man was convicted in the Ontario Court of Justice for hunting during an early-season controlled deer hunt without the required validation, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources said in a news release. Court heard that on Nov. 4, 2025, a conservation officer conducting enforcement in the West Elgin area during the muzzle-loading-only controlled deer hunt encountered the hunter after he had tagged a deer while taking part in a party hunt.

An inspection determined the hunter was not properly validated to participate in the early November controlled hunt, the ministry said. The ministry said a subsequent investigation found the Essex resident had committed the same offence during the controlled deer hunt in 2024. As part of the investigation, the deer was seized and later donated.

The man pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting during a controlled deer hunt and was fined $3,000. The case was heard by justice of the peace Clive L.M. Forbes in the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Thomas on May 13.