Two men have been arrested and charged after a keen-eyed neighbour spotted a home burglary in progress in South Surrey on Tuesday afternoon.
On Nov. 24, shortly after 2:30 p.m., Surrey RCMP received a report of suspicious activity at a residence in the 13300-block of 14A Avenue. Two men were seen attempting to break in to the home, eventually making entry.
As a result of the timely report from the neighbour, police were able to immediately start rolling in the direction of the crime in progress, states a release from Surrey RCMP, issued Thursday (Nov. 26).
Officers were en route to the location, even before the suspects triggered the home’s alarm system. The caller stayed on the phone with dispatchers, providing a detailed account of the suspects’ actions until officers arrived at the residence – which they did within minutes of receiving the 911 call. Officers intercepted and arrested two suspects before they had an opportunity to flee.
On Nov. 25, 34-year-old, Leo Hamm and Kalman Hlavacs, 31, were charged with break and enter.
“This is a great example of how valuable witnesses are, particularly during a crime in progress,” Cpl. Joanie Sidhu said in the release.
“The prompt actions of this neighbour and the quick response of officers led to the arrests of these suspects.
“Securing your home with an alarm system is also a great deterrent for break-ins and serves as a method to alert neighbours and police during crimes in progress.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.
