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Remorseful man pays back victims for drunken vandalism

The man returned to the Saanich police department headquarters soon after with $220 in cash to pay for the broken car window.

An intoxicated man who smashed a car window out of frustration early Saturday morning felt so bad about what he did when he sobered up that he immediately remedied the situation.

The 21-year-old Saanich resident was arrested by Saanich police on a property in the 1800-block of San Juan Ave at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Residents inside the home said the man was attempting to get inside, having mistaken the house was his own.

Police arrived to find the man between two cars, one of which had a window smashed out. He also had a large scratch on his arm, believed to be from breaking the window.

He was arrested and held overnight until he sobered up.

The man was interviewed the next morning and admitted to having drank too much the night before. He said he felt remorseful and upset about what he had done and was released on a promise to appear.

The man returned to the Saanich police department headquarters soon after with $220 in cash to pay for the broken car window. That money has since been given to the victim and covers the cost of the glass.

"Oftentimes we hear someone has taken responsibility for their actions, but it's more rare that someone actually makes amends," Sgt. Dean Jantzen said.

Jantzen said the young man also asked police to help deliver an apology note to the people whose property was damaged.

kslavin@saanichnews.com