Nanaimo Mounties hope the public can identify a woman, seen on security camera footage, who allegedly bought $70 worth of ice cream products with a debit card stolen with other items from the Vancouver Island University gymnasium women’s change room. (Photo submitted)

Nanaimo Mounties hope the public can identify a woman, seen on security camera footage, who allegedly bought $70 worth of ice cream products with a debit card stolen with other items from the Vancouver Island University gymnasium women’s change room. (Photo submitted)

Woman in Nanaimo buys $70 worth of ice cream with allegedly stolen debit card

Purchase said to have occurred on Jan. 11 at 2 a.m. at Nicol General Store

Nanaimo RCMP is looking for a woman who allegedly purchased about $70 worth of ice cream products from a local convenience store with a stolen debit card.

According to police, the purchase happened at the Nicol General Store at the corner of Nicol and Milton streets at about 2 a.m. Jan. 11.

The debit card has been connected to a theft Jan. 10, when Nanaimo RCMP received a report that a number of items were stolen from an unsecured locker in women’s change room at the Vancouver Island University gymnasium sometime between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.

The list of taken items included a small, square, light tan women’s wallet with a gold zipper and gold pendant, a Google Chromebook computer, a white and grey Samsung Galaxy S6 cellphone and a black Stormtech jacket embroidered with the words “Richmond Ringette and Macmillan.”

The cellphone was later tracked with the Find My Phone app to an area near Calverley and Howard avenues and then to the Windward Pub, but police were unable to find the person with the phone.

“There were 25 people in there and we couldn’t establish [who had it] because the phone had been shut off at that point,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman.

The victim also discovered her bank account had been emptied by someone using her debit card.

O’Brien said the woman in the image is the suspect of the ice cream purchase, but police have not connected her directly to the theft from the locker.

Anyone with information about the identity and location of the suspect in the security video image, or who has information about the theft from the locker is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, text 274637 (keyword Nanaimo), or submit a tip online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com.

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