‘I’ve seen a lot of strange things’: Man arrested with racks of jackets on SkyTrain

A bizarre arrest was caught on video in Vancouver on a SkyTrain on Christmas Day.

A man was seen wheeling two racks of brand-new jackets onto the train around 5 p.m., which raised the suspicions of a SkyTrain attendant.

“Our officers responded to a call from a very observant SkyTrain attendant,” Metro Vancouver Transit Police Const. Amanda Steed told Global News.

“The SkyTrain attendant was onboard a train at Joyce Station and witnessed a man with this giant rolling rack with what he was assuming was brand-new jackets, (which was) very suspicious looking.”

Earlier that day at about 2:30 p.m., Burnaby RCMP responded to an alarm at Metrotown Mall.

Police aren’t saying from which store and it’s unclear right now exactly how the alarm was triggered.

“Based on the time that transit arrested him and the time that he left that (and) we got the call, I would say he must have gotten on the SkyTrain right at Metrotown,” Burnaby RCMP Mike Kalanj said.

Police believe the suspect made it all the way to Joyce Street Station before police were called.

One passenger said the man was talking to himself and tried to put on one of the jackets. Police were waiting for him at Waterfront Station.

He was arrested without incident.

“The suspect was identified thanks to transit police so we have that information and all the items were received,” Kalanj said.

“The next steps will be to get charge approval.”

Thirty-four coats were seized estimated at a worth of around $6,100. A 35-year-old man with no fixed address was arrested and released pending further investigation. The man has a history of theft and break-and-enter charges.

“In my 11 years I’ve seen a lot of strange things but never seen someone steal an entire rack and board a train and then take it to downtown Vancouver,” Steed said.

Police are using this incident as a reminder for people to call 911 if something seems strange.