Burnaby RCMP officers are looking for a suspect they believe is responsible for a trio of recent poppy donation box thefts.
The boxes were pilfered this week from the Safeway at Willingdon Avenue and Hastings Street and the White Spot and Starbucks in the Kensington Mall. The money was meant to go to the North Burnaby Legion.
One of the thefts took place on Nov. 9, and two of them on Nov. 10.
The Legion said the thief came prepared for the heist with his own wire clippers.
“For someone to be that brazen — to walk into these businesses and cut the wire which is not an easy task, to say the least, with people around,” Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Mike Kalanj said.
“It’s very frustrating,” Kalanj said. The suspect, he added, “walked off with money that was meant for our veterans, meant for the legion, and a charity is out an unknown amount of money.”
Police have released photos of the suspect, and are asking anyone who recognizes him to contact Burnaby RCMP.