A business owner who was bear-sprayed in the face by a stranger is raising concerns about the safety of staff and clients in his Burnaby, B.C., neighbourhood.
Scott Redlac, owner of Burnaby Grills and Langara Mechanical Plumbing and Heating on Randolph Avenue, was attacked on Jan. 24 by a man who approached the business.
The disturbing incident was captured on security cameras and is under investigation by Burnaby RCMP. A suspect has not been arrested.
“He came into my place of business, harassing me and my customers and employees. I was very disturbed by it,” Redlac said.
“I’m fed up. My employees should not have to be scared to come here. How are we supposed to operate a proper business with these guys here 24/7?”
According to Redlac, the man approached his the door of his business and called him derogatory names.
Redlac believes the confrontation took place because Redlac had taken a photo of the man earlier that day, allegedly in the midst of a drug deal.
Redlac said he decided to “take him outside to give him a spanking,” which is when the man bear-sprayed him. Injured, Redlac retreated indoors, but said upon realizing he could still see, he decided to chase after the suspect.
“That’s when he nailed me right in the face completely with the whole can, and actually chased me into the building and managed to get my employee as well.”
According to Redlac, the incident on Jan. 24 is not isolated.
He told Global News that for about a decade, businesses in the neighbourhood have been the victims of all kinds of crime — vehicle damage, smash and grabs, broken store windows, theft of auto parts and more.
He believes it relates to a single house “down the street” — a house that is “well-known to police, frequented by drug users and property crime offenders,” Burnaby RCMP confirmed by email Friday.
Another business owner in the neighbourhood, who declined to be named for fear of “retaliation,” said he sometimes feels like giving up.
“It can cost you thousands of dollars, you can just be hammered with repair bills constantly and there’s nothing we can do about it,” he told Global News.
“At the end of the day, you just start asking yourself, why do we even try? It’s heartbreaking for everyone involved who tries to make a living, tries to get people working.”
Redlac, his employee who was bear-sprayed, and owners or staff at seven other businesses on Randolph Avenue all signed Redlac’s “victim confession.” The document outlines the Jan. 24 incident, describes the history of crime in the area, and its impact on businesses and staff safety.
It also identifies the address of the house whose tenants are believed to be responsible for much of the crime, and alleges that property is full of stolen goods, and has been involved in shootings, stabbings and drug deals over the years.
Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Michael Kalanj said officers executed a warrant for theft at the property, 7257 Randolph Ave., after a mail theft occurred in the 7300-block of Royal Oak Avenue in Burnaby on Feb. 6.
Police obtained CCTV footage of the incident, said Kalanj in an email, and recognized the suspect as one of Burnaby’s “prolific property crime offenders.” The suspect has 52 criminal convictions on record and was wanted for a breach of probation arrest warrant.
The search at 7257 Randolph Ave. was carried out on Feb. 9, and while the suspect wasn’t there, officers arrested a female resident who was wanted for multiple property crime offences.