Sannich Police are asking for the public to remain vigilant, keeping a watchful eye on their properties, as well as those of their immediate neighbors.
Yesterday, it was reported that a suspect male was found sleeping in a stolen vehicle, in possession of break in tools and weapons at the time of his arrest.
An alert citizen contacted Saanich Police in the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 23, to report a suspicious male in the 3900 block of Interurban Road, near Grange Road.
The suspect male was observed to be acting in an odd manner, walking around a vehicle that was parked at the location. The citizen followed their gut feeling that something was not right, and contacted police.
Shortly after 1 a.m., Saanich Police located the vehicle parked roadside. A quick check of the vehicle revealed that the suspect male appeared to be sleeping in the front driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Checks of the vehicle revealed that it had been reported stolen from the West Shore area on June 20, 2015. The rear license plate of the vehicle was also noted to be stolen from a separate incident.
The sleeping suspect was taken into custody without incident. During the arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of a knife, as well as a canister of bear spray, both of which were concealed on his body.
The 24 year old male was found to be on the subject of a Probation Order and in contravention of the Order by being in possession of the weapons.
The suspect was held in custody to appear in court today. The recommended charges include Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000, Possession of Break-in Instruments, Possession of a Weapons For a Dangerous Purpose, and Failure to Comply With a Probation Order.
This morning, at approximately 2:30 a.m., occupants of a residence in the 1100 block of Clovelly Terrace, near the intersection of Cook Street and Quadra Street, noted a car alarm in the area. Further checks revealed that the alarm belonged to one of their own vehicles that had been parked in their driveway.
The witnesses observed a suspect inside the driver’s side of the vehicle and advised that the male appeared to be slumped over or asleep inside the car. A bicycle, believed to belong to the suspect, was also observed to be leaning up against the back of the witness’s vehicle.
Police arrived on scene and located a 28 year old Victoria man who appeared to have fallen asleep inside the vehicle, despite the car alarm sounding. The male was found in possession of property from the vehicle and was subsequently arrested for Theft Under $5000.
The suspect was later released from custody and will appear in court to answer to the charges in August.
It was noted that the suspect was noted to have previous convictions for theft related incidents.
In both of the recent arrests, information has been provided to police, which has resulted in the suspects being located and arrested. If someone appears out of place, or appears to be acting suspicious, we are asking members of the community to notify us” Sgt. Steve Eassie said.
