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Security cameras tampered with during Oak Bay home break-in

String of bicycle thefts, thefts from vehicles and stolen fish keep police busy
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An Oak Bay Police Department car parked outside the office on Monterey Avenue. (Black Press Media file photo)

A string of bike thefts has Oak Bay police on the lookout.

Four reports of bike thefts kept police busy last week. In total, the Oak Bay Police Department responded to 106 calls for service between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4.

On Aug. 29, police received a report of a bike stolen off a vehicle carrier rack in the 2600-block of Burdick Avenue. A Norco Yorkville commuter bike was not secured to the rack with a lock and was stolen at some point overnight.

On Sept. 2, police received a report of a bike stolen outside of a business on Oak Bay Avenue. The owner told police he had left the white Cannondale Quick locked up overnight but the cut lock was all that was there when he returned the next day.

Police received another report the following day, this time of the theft of wheels from a bike in the 1300-block of Beach Drive. The wheels were removed from a TREK bicycle while the owner was fishing in the area. A witness described one of the suspects to police as a Caucasian youth with bright red or orange hair cut in a boxy style, riding a red BMX bicycle.

On Sept. 4 police were advised of another theft of a bicycle that occurred between Sept. 2 and 4. The black Supercycle Solaris was stolen from a parking lot in the 1300-block of Beach Drive.

Police are reminding residents to make sure bikes are secured with a quality lock and to register them with Garage 529 as this will help officers identify the bike if it is stolen.

Credit cards used after theft from vehicle

Police also saw a number of thefts from vehicles last week.

On Aug. 29 police received a report of a theft from a motor vehicle that occurred on the evening of Aug. 25 in the 1500-block of Hampshire Road. A skateboard, Bluetooth speaker, shoes and a sweater were stolen from an older model pickup truck. Video from the area shows a suspect who is described by police as an approximately 30-year-old Caucasian man with long blond hair, wearing a black ball cap, dark zip-up jacket and dark shorts.

On Sept. 4, police were called to the 1900-block of Bee Street for a report of a theft from a vehicle. A window had been broken on the vehicle and the owner reported their iPhone mini and a small bag containing identification and credit cards had been taken. While cancelling the cards, the owner was informed they had been used in several fraudulent transactions.

Cameras tampered with in home break-in

On Sept. 2, police were called to a residence in the 3100-block of Wessex Close for a residential break and enter. The homeowner returned to find clothing and personal items strewn about the front entrance. Police determined a suspect or suspects had entered the home by breaking through a window and exterior cameras on the home appeared to be tampered with to prevent detection. The entire home was ransacked with a tablet and several pieces of jewelry stolen.

Suspect strays from house arrest conditions

On Sept. 3, while in the area for a noise complaint, an Oak Bay officer observed a man known to police to have strict house arrest conditions, in the passenger seat of a vehicle travelling down Oak Bay Avenue. The officer located the man in the 2000-block of Oak Bay Avenue and arrested him for breaching conditions. A search of the man also turned up suspected drugs, drug paraphernalia, and a credit card which is believed to be stolen.

Stolen fish hopefully fed

On Sept. 1, police received a report of a theft from a business on Oak Bay Avenue. The owner told police that on Aug. 31, between 1 and 1:15 p.m., a male suspect stole a beta fish along with two packages of food worth approximately $70. The suspect is described as a Caucasian man between 50 and 60 years old with a distinctive slouch. He was carrying a black messenger bag.

Anyone with information on these crimes or others is asked to contact the detachment at 250-592-2424 or anonymously to Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.


 

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