West Shore RCMP officers were able to find and methodically return Christmas presents that were stolen from vehicles at a Langford apartment parkade.
In a statement released Monday, police say they are investigating complaints of thefts from an apartment complex near the 3100 block of Jacklin Rd in Langford.
Surveillance footage shows a woman entering the building by buzzing random apartments until one of the occupants let her in.
Police say she then went to the underground parkade, tried to open multiple vehicle doors, and entered the ones that were left unlocked.
Before she left, the suspect left behind a bag in the parkade. The packaging of the bag made it clear that it contained Christmas presents, but no return address was available.
In their efforts to try and return the packages, the officer who found the bag came across several families who live near the apartment complex and said they had recently had deliveries stolen from their front porch.
The officer was soon able to match the presents, many of which included sentimental gifts, to their rightful owners.
Cst. Nancy Saggar says police have since identified the suspect and are looking to recommend charges related to trespassing, theft and possession of stolen property.
“We see many thefts from vehicles during the holiday season. It is a good practise to lock your car doors and take your valuables with you,” said Saggar in a statement.
