Saanich police officers are searching for a suspect that stole $600 worth of tools during a break-and-enter at the Lowe’s Home Improvement and Hardware store at Tillicum Centre on Tuesday morning.
Just after 1 a.m. on March 31, alarms were triggered in the hardware store and when police arrived, they found a broken window next to the front doors, said Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the Saanich Police Department.
Upon speaking with a property owner, officers learned about $600 worth of merchandise was missing, he said. Police searched the property with the help of the canine unit but did not locate a suspect.
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Anastasiades said a suspect was caught on the store’s security camera. In the footage, a lone Caucasian male in a camo jacket, dark hoodie, light coloured pants and dark shoes can be seen breaking the window and entering the store, he said.
Saanich police have seen a bit of a spike in break-and-enters recently, Anastasiades added. While he couldn’t say if the uptick is related to many businesses being shuttered due to COVID-19, he recommends that business owners take proactive measures to protect themselves – including installing working security cameras and removing all cash from the premises every day.
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