Thieves used a vacant neighbouring retail space to break through the wall of a furniture store in the 500-block of Bay St. last night, but left behind a replica handgun in the process.
The "mouse-hole" break-and-enter technique took place sometime overnight and resulted in cash being stolen from the business, but more unsettling was was the replica gun left at the scene, said Bowen Osoko, VicPD spokesman.
"When used as part of a theft, a replica handgun is a serious threat, particularly if it were pulled on police responding to the noise caused by the demolition job required to enter the business," Osoko said. "Officers would have been forced to respond as though such a weapon was a real and deadly threat."
Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious behaviour in the area overnight is asked to call 250-995-7654.