The financial reward for stealing a set of unassembled aluminum bleachers and selling them to a local metal shop were too tempting for a 34-year-old Saanich man.
Last week he pleaded guilty in Victoria Provincial Court to stealing the bleachers, which belong to Lakehill Little League.
The City of Victoria donated the sections of surplus Royal Athletic Park bleachers to Lakehill Little League in November of 2013. The bleachers were stored and were awaiting installation at Ambassador Park.
Sometime during the next two weeks, a large number of the 15-foot-long aluminum benches were stolen from a dugout storage area.
Police were notified that several similar loads of aluminum benches had been sold to a local metal recycling firm. The suspect had provided an explanation regarding the origin of the aluminum, along with his identification.
Police noted there were additional aluminum benches in the dugout and speculated the suspect was likely to return again. Const. Mark Pamminger Community Engagement Division, covertly placed small, distinctive Block Watch decals on hidden areas of the benches where they would not be easily viewable.
Two days later, the same man showed up at the business with another load of aluminum benches. The identifiable Block Watch decals were still in place.
The man was arrested by Victoria Police and turned over to Saanich Police. He confessed to having stolen the property over the course of several nights, and he voluntarily turned over a large box of bleacher assembly hardware to police.
Dennis Tyler Cox, 34, was sentenced in late January to one count of Theft Over $5,000. He received a suspended sentence of two years probation, with a number of conditions including the completion of 100 hours of community work and paying restitution of $1,540 to Lakehill Little League.
reporter@saanichnews.com
