VicPD arrested a man on 23 recommended charges after executing a search warrant that recovered over $11,000 in stolen goods from a string of break-ins across Greater Victoria.
The suspect’s break-in spree began on Wednesday, February 8th just before 7 a.m. According to police, the suspect broke into a financial services business in the 1800-block of Oak Bay Avenue. A security guard called it in after finding broken glass.
CCTV footage from this incident shows a man force his way into the business and exit with documents sticking out of his backpack.
Shortly after this first incident, Oak Bay Police were called to Glenlyon Norfolk School in the 700-block of Richmond Avenue for a similar break and enter. CCTV footage showed a man wearing similar clothes to the suspect of the first incident.
The suspect could be seen to still have documents sticking out of his backpack from the financial services business. Glenlyon Norfolk School reported electronic equipment to be missing from the break-in.
The suspect’s third and fourth break-in was the very same technology company in the 500-block of Head Street in Esquimalt near West Bay Marina.
Police say someone reported an open window with electronics hanging out of it. VicPD officers arrived and cleared the building to confirm it was empty before staff was allowed in to see what had been taken.
Several unique pieces of technology had been taken, some of which are one-of-a-kind devices.
Nine days after the tech company was broken into on Sunday, February 26th, VicPD officers were called to the same location after an alarm had been set off around 3:40 a.m.
Officers discovered a window had been tampered with for entry and they once again cleared the building before allowing staff to canvas the business to discover what had been taken. Staff discovered that more unique pieces of technology had been taken this time.
Following these incidents, VicPD’s Analysis and Intelligence Section (AIS) began working with surrounding jurisdictions to discover links between similar break-ins. Through this process, police say they identified a suspect and began working to locate him.
VicPD say they located their suspect in a residential supportive housing complex in the 700-block of Queens Avenue.
Police obtained a search warrant for the suspects unit in the multi-unit building and executed it on Friday, March 3rd.
During the search, police say they found the suspect hiding under his mattress as well as numerous stolen items linking him to several break-ins across the capital region.
The suspect was arrested and taken to VicPD cells where he remains. Police say the cumulative value of the stolen goods was over $11,000.
The suspect now faces 23 recommended charges, most of which are due to breaching release orders.
He faces one count of obstruction, four counts of breaking and entering, two counts of possession of stolen property and 16 counts of breach of release.
