The police pooch sniffed out a suspect.
Oceanside RCMP reported that on June 27, they received a complaint of a break-and-enter in progress on Magnolia Drive in Parksville. The homeowner called just before 3 a.m., saying an unknown man had removed a screen from a window and had gained entry into the house but ran away after being confronted.
Policed arrived shortly thereafter and began searching for the suspect. The homeowner gave a detailed description of the suspect and his direction of travel.
Police Dog Services were contacted and located the suspect several blocks away, in the backyard of another house. Police said the second house was found to have a screen removed from a window and surveillance video showed the man attempting to break in. The second homeowner reported he did not know this man, or why he was in their backyard at 3 a.m.
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A 24-year-old Qualicum Beach man was immediately arrested and transported to the Oceanside RCMP detachment without incident.
“This suspect was also found to be breaching his conditions from a probation order he was already on,” said Oceanside RCMP Staff Sgt. Marc Pelletier. “This suspect now has a September court date on these new incidents. I’m very happy that no one was injured, and thankful for the quick actions of the homeowner calling right away with the man’s description.”
— NEWS Staff
