Just a week after Vancouver police released a warning about a spike in distraction robberies, a suspected thief has been arrested.
Twenty-one-year-old Spaniol Alexandru has been charged with one count of theft under $5000.
It’s believed Alexandru is responsible for a series of distraction thefts.
In the so-called “distraction robberies,” a thief usually approaches a victim who is openly wearing gold earrings, necklaces, bracelets or rings.
The strangers then place fake jewellery around the victim’s head, neck or wrist. They then remove the victim’s jewellery, leaving behind fake items in its place.
The suspects usually ask for directions or indicate they may know the person, giving any excuse to get close to the victim.
Over the past year and a half, Vancouver police have seen around 130 similar incidents. Police believe there are multiple suspects involved and they roam from province to province not just across Canada, but internationally as well.
On Friday, Vancouver police released a warning asking people to use common sense and not allow anyone they don’t know into their personal space to avoid getting robbed.
READ MORE: Beware sleight of hand jewellery thieves
After receiving a number of tips from the public, four possible suspects were identified by police as they attempted to board an eastbound flight out of Vancouver on Dec.2.
All four men were questioned by investigators. One man was arrested and the other three men were released.
Police believe that there are other victims out there who have not yet spoken with police yet.
Anyone with information about any of these crimes is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Major Crime Section at (604) 717-2541 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477.
Comments