“Neighbours taking care of neighbours” helped ensure that another Kelowna home didn’t get hit by a prolific offender, RCMP said.
A resident of a home on Aldon Road in Kelowna went out for a couple of hours Tuesday and upon their return, at around 1 p.m., they found a side window of the home had been smashed and various drawers inside had been rummaged through.
RCMP said that several personal belongings were stolen, including heirloom jewelry and cash. Kelowna RCMP investigators were able to collect evidence and video footage that assisted in the identification of a suspect.
In the aftermath of the theft, news outlets and several posts on social media shared images of the suspect.
On Sept. 7, that suspect, who had tried to alter his appearance, was seen entering another yard in the area and an off duty police officer who knew his neighbour was away, confirmed they were not expecting visitors.
He then confronted the suspect who, RCMP said, was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for why he was in the neighbourhood.
With the assistance of RCMP, the 37-year-old Edmonton man was arrested. The man has previously been convicted of at least 20 criminal offences in Alberta between 2006 and 2022.
Several items of stolen property from the elderly victim were also located in his possession.
“This is a prime example of neighbours taking care of neighbours. Working together as a community looking out for one another increases a sense of security, safety and assists the police in doing their job,” Const. Mike Della-Paolera.
This is the tenth arrest of priority property offenders in the last 10 days by the Kelowna RCMP Regional Detachment.
Of the 10 arrests, four individuals were held in custody, two were released by the police on undertakings and four were released by the courts.
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