Saanich police are hopeful the arrest of a well-known offender Friday morning will put to rest the recent rash of vehicle break-ins.
An officer spotted the man around 9 a.m. on Glasgow Avenue near Quadra Street carrying a hockey bag. He was arrested for an unrelated breach offence.
The hockey bag, however, had been stolen from a truck parked a block away overnight. The man was also in possession of a men's coat, stolen overnight from a parked car nearby.
The man was also in possession of crystal meth, weigh scales and several phones.
Saanich police say this area of Quadra Street is one of the locations that's been hit hard by a recent spike in thefts from autos. Police last week said there were 62 reports of vehicle break-ins in Saanich in the first two weeks of January.
The 35-year-old arrested Friday morning will appear in court in March.
kslavin@saanichnews.com