Victoria police are searching for a man in connection to a short-term rental property in Victoria that was ransacked.
Officers are asking for the public’s assistance in finding Brandon Wildman, a 38 year-old man wanted on warrants, who is also a person of interest in an investigation into the ransacking of a rental property.
The property owner called police to report that she had rented her short-term rental to a man who, not only did not pay his rental fee, but also stole many items from within and damaged the property.
The short-term rental was set up through a website that does not require verification. The property owner agreed to rent the property to the man, despite not having met him, seen him in person, nor independently verifying his identity.
Upon returning home, she discovered the thefts and the extensive damage that had combined losses of over $5,000.
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Wildman is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but is a person of interest and has previous warrants for his arrest involving a series of investigations in which he is allegedly responsible for theft and damage to short-term and roommate rental accommodations.
He has been reported to have used “David Howden” as his alias in the past and may be doing so now.
Wildman is described as a Caucasian man with a thin build, standing five feet, ten inches tall. He is balding, but often shaves his head and sometimes has a trimmed moustache or beard.
If you see Brandon Wildman, please call 911. If you have information about his whereabouts, please call (250) 995-7654, or Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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For those renting short-term properties or looking for roommates, VicPD recommends:
· not renting your space to someone without meeting that person or, for those who use short-term rental services like AirBnB, only rent to approved, confirmed persons;
· for those renting to roommates – do not rent your space without receiving a damage deposit;
· ensuring your valuables are secured when renting your space to persons you do not know.
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