A man has been arrested and charged with multiple thefts after an insulin pump was stolen from a diabetic child at a hockey arena near Calgary.
Airdrie RCMP said an off-duty Calgary Police Service member recognized the suspect involved in the pump theft at the Stew Hendry Arena in northeast Calgary on March 11.
The man is also linked to thefts from other arenas in the Calgary area, police said.
Kevin Roggeveen, 51, of Alberta, was consequently charged with theft over $5,000. Roggeveen was also charged with two counts of theft under $5,000 from a motor vehicle and one count of theft under $5,000 for recent unrelated Calgary police cases.
The initial incident occurred March 2, when police said a man entered the locker room of the Ron Ebbesen Arena in Airdrie and took the $5,000 pump between 6:20 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.
The child’s mother said earlier that the pump is a lifeline for her son, who has Type 1 diabetes and was playing hockey during the theft.
Airdrie police extended their gratitude to the public and police, loss prevention officers and all involved in the resolution of the case. Officers said numerous helpful tips were received, as well as offers for assistance for the boy’s family.
Roggeveen is set to appear at the Airdrie courthouse April 27 in relation to the theft of the insulin pump.