Earlier this month, a young man stole over $20,000 in gold chains from Westshore Gold & Silver.
The theft took place on Saturday, December 9th and while the West Shore RCMP began their investigation, business owner Cory Kowalchuk took the matter into his own hands and reached out to Victoria Buzz with pictures of the alleged thief.
Later that week, police also released a picture of the young man believed to be responsible.
“It’s a real kick to the shins at this time of year and doesn’t make the staff feel very comfortable trying to be of service,” said Kowalchuk following the robbery of his store.
“It’s a bummer for sure.”
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According to Kowalchuk, the young man asked to see the men’s gold chains and proceeded to wait until the clerk was busy showing another item to a different customer. Then, he grabbed the chains in front of him and took off on foot.
Police say that following their release about the suspect, the 23-year-old man responsible identified himself, turned himself in and was subsequently charged with theft over $5,000.
According to West Shore RCMP, the investigation is ongoing, but thus far, some of the stolen jewelry has been located and recovered.
The young suspect has been released with the expectation he attends his court date which is set for early 2024.
