A 41-year-old man is in police custody following a break and enter at a Saanich home that took place in broad daylight while the owner was home.
Just after 9 a.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 10), police received a call from the owner of a home in the 1000-block of Burnside Road West who reported someone had broken in through a door in the basement.
According to police, the owner was home at the time and could hear the suspect going through their belongings. The homeowner fled the residence while providing emergency personnel with a description of the man who’d broken in.
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A neighbour also called police after seeing the suspect fleeing the property and was able to provide a description of his clothing and which way he’d gone.
Police located the suspect, a 41-year-old man who is known to police and has a lengthy criminal record, nearby and took him into custody. At the time, he was in possession of a bike believed to have been taken from the home.
“This was surely a frightening incident for this homeowner and neighbours in the area,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the Saanich Police Department. “That being said, they were all able to remain calm, call police and provide pertinent information that ultimately led to the suspect’s arrest.”
The man is facing charges for break and enter and theft under $5,000.
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