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Victoria landlord spies thief on CCTV, gets home in time to hold man for police

Police recommend calling 911 if break-in observed through surveillance camera
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(Black Press Media file photo)

A Bay Street resident who used closed-circuit TV offsite to observe an intruder in his home Wednesday afternoon arrived in time to catch the would-be thief in the act and hold him for police.

Victoria police say tenants who were in the home in the 1200-block of Bay Street at the time called police around 1 p.m. to report someone had smashed a window and broken into the landlord’s upstairs suite.

At the same time, a VicPD release stated, the landlord was observing the suspect using a surveillance camera and returned home immediately. Police say he found the suspect inside his suite gathering up belongings. The landlord apprehended the would-be thief, recovered his items and held the man until officers arrived a short time later to arrest him.

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The suspect, a 48-year-old man with 12 previous break-and-enter convictions, was transported to VicPD cells to await a bail hearing. He faces recommended charges of break and enter and theft.

While CCTV and other camera systems provide additional security by providing alerts and livestreams, VicPD recommended that anyone observing a break-in in progress should call 911 first.

Anyone who may have other information about this incident is asked to call VicPD’s non-emergency line at 250-995-7654 ext. 1, or report what you know anonymously to Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.


 

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