'Suspicious' man arrested near G20 Summit

TORONTO - Canadian police have arrested a man near the site of this weekend's global G20 summit, after discovering a cache of 'suspicious contents' in his car during a traffic stop.

Police found petrol containers, a chain saw, baseball bat, a cross bow, arrows and sledge hammers after police flagged the Hyundai Elantra because it looked suspicious and unsafe for driving, Constable Hugh Smith said. The arrest came on the eve of the G8 and G20 summits of world leaders.

"There's quite a various amount of items that, used by the wrong person at the wrong time, was enough that we made the arrest," Smith said.

Smith said the man will be questioned on why he had so many of the items and why he was in the area. He said charges are pending. A police hazardous unit went through the car, where some of the items were openly displayed, before it was towed.

Toronto Police Const. Tony Vella said there's no evidence that it's summit related.

The car was pulled over a few blocks from where world leaders will meet, but not within the security perimeter. It was stopped near a hotel where the French delegation is staying. Workers at the hotel had walked off the job Thursday as part of a labour dispute.

Toronto's downtown core resembles a fortress with thousands of police. A big steel and concrete fence surrounds several blocks around the summit site. The G8 summit starts Friday and the G20 summit, which groups the leaders from 19 leading rich and developing nations, starts Saturday. About 19,000 security personnel are working the summits.

Thursday's arrest was the third ahead of the summit this week. A man was charged with possession of explosives in what police are calling a Group of 20 summit-related arrest has also been charged. His common-law wife has also been charged.

Police spokeswoman Jillian Van Acker said Thursday that Kristen Peterson, 37, has been charged with possession of an explosive device and possession of a weapon. Peterson's partner, computer security expert Byron Sonne, was charged Wednesday with several offenses, including possession of explosives, dangerous weapons and intimidating a justice system participant.

Jesse Hirsh, an internet activist and contributor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., said Sonne told a May meeting of activists and professors that he planned to monitor police chatter about the G20 summit and post it on Twitter. He also said he would buy items online to attract police attention.

Officers armed with a search warrant went to the couple's million-dollar-plus home in a wealthy neighbourhood in Toronto's north end on Tuesday. They charged Sonne and have now charged Peterson after searching two cottage homes in rural Ontario.

Van Acker said she couldn't say what the explosives are but said there is no risk to public safety. Police have declined to release more details, but said the investigation is part of the ongoing effort to ensure a safe and secure G20 Summit.

- AP