The theft of two phones and a wallet from a vehicle in Port Renfrew led to the arrest in Langford of a man accused of using stolen banking cards near Duncan.
It all started on Nov. 4 with the theft of items from a vehicle at Somrbio Beach on the west coast.
The West Shore RCMP’s crime reduction unit identified 43-year-old Tomas Szalay from video surveillance as a chronic offender and took over the investigation. He was spotted on surveillance numerous times making nearly $300 in fraudulent transactions.
Police arrested Szalay in Langford on Nov. 8. He’s been charged with one count of theft, three counts of possession of stolen property and two counts of fraud.
“Tracking down a suspect who is traveling from jurisdiction to jurisdiction committing crime is a challenging task,” said Cpl. Fred Ritchie of the West Shore RCMP’s crime reduction unit. “Our Crime Reduction Unit not only located the suspect within days of the offence, but also gathered individual pieces of evidence regarding fraud at various locations outside of the West Shore. This is a testament to the skill and dedication of the unit.”
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