A Langley family that had gifts stolen from underneath the Christmas tree just days before Dec. 25 was able to experience the joy of the season thanks to police and a neighbourhood of surveillance cameras.
The homeowner, who doesn’t want to be identified, says two young suspects were captured on surveillance video prowling the neighbourhood in the early hours of Dec. 22.
“They were walking up and down my street, opening car doors and trying other people’s houses,” he said.
“Luckily our neighbourhood has a lot of cameras around.”
He says the thieves made off with all the presents under the family’s tree and a few laptops.
However, thanks to the cameras, police were able to identify and apprehend the suspects.
Cpl. Zynal Sharoom, a spokesman with the Langley RCMP, says it’s tragic to see the story of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas turned into a reality.
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Sharoom says officers employed several investigative techniques, which allowed them to track the thieves down.
“Community individuals reached out to our office well before we could publicly request identification,” he said.
The packages were recovered at a home, Sharoom said.
Sharoom says police brought the presents to their office, rewrapped them and returned them to the family before Christmas.
“It’s a good feeling to get everything back and no one was hurt, which is the most important thing,” the homeowner said, adding he hopes the youth face consequences for their actions.
Police say the investigation is still ongoing but due to the suspects’ ages, they are not being publicly identified at this time.
He encourages anyone with surveillance video of the area around 265 street and 28A avenue or who saw something suspicious on Dec. 22 should contact police.
With files from The Canadian Press and Kristen Robinson.
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