White Rock residents who woke Friday to find valuables had been stolen from their vehicles overnight just might be able to recover an item or two.
Const. Janelle Shoihet said police are asking owners whose vehicles were parked in and around the 14200-block of Malabar Avenue Thursday night to check if they’re missing anything, after two men were arrested with a cache of items believed taken from the area.
“Right now, it looks like there was five cars which may have been targeted,” Shoihet said.
Police were called around 2:30 a.m. Friday (Dec. 16), after an area resident noticed two suspicious men who appeared to be trying the door handle of a vehicle parked in his neighbour’s driveway. A police dog team helped locate two men who matched the descriptions provided. The pair were found with items including iPods, sunglasses and prescription medicine, Shoihet said.
While officers “did their best” to determine which vehicles the items may have come from, the loot has so far not been claimed, Shoihet said.
She noted all of the vehicles that were targeted had been left unlocked.
“It wasn’t like they were breaking in, it was like it was opportunity knocking,” she said. “If you’re going to leave $400 and $500 sunglasses in your car…”
Shoihet said alcohol was “definitely” a factor in the thefts.
A 20-year-old White Rock man and a 21-year-old South Surrey resident are facing charges of theft under $5,000 and possession of stolen property in connection with the incident. The men were released on a promise to appear in court at a later date.
Anyone who believes their property may be among the items recovered, or who wants to report that they, too, were victimized, is asked to call White Rock RCMP at 778-593-3600 and cite file 2011-6652.
