The man killed in Surrey this week has been confirmed as Mark Winston Berry, a man Surrey Mounties identified as one of the city’s most wanted car thieves in 2012.
In February last year, police issued a list of their 10 most-wanted car thieves, a roster that included Berry, a then-43-year-old wanted for two counts of possession of stolen property. He’s had 25 Criminal Code convictions since 1988. He is considered extremely dangerous.
Those convictions included break and enter in Richmond in 1998, kidnapping and robbery in Vancouver in 1999, and Assault in Maple Ridge in 2000.
Berry, 44, was found dead Monday morning in front of a residence in the 12000-block of 99 Avenue.
An RIP site was set up for Berry on Facebook this week, and several people expressed a sense of loss.
“I keep thinking I’m in a big nightmare and that I’ll wake up,” wrote one friend. “I’m so hating this. This isn’t how it’s suppose to be. R.I.P my dear friend.”
Another wrote, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Your big smile and even bigger heart will be missed by many. R.I.P. Mark.”
He known to police and has an extensive criminal record dating back to 1987.
Berry was known to occasionally stay at the residence where he was found but was not a full-time tenant of the home, say police.
An autopsy was completed which has confirmed that foul play was a factor in his death. Police are not disclosing the cause of death to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Berry’s death brought the murders in Surrey this year to 22, an all-time record. It sparked a mayor’s task force and calls for new approaches to crime fighting in this city.
