More than $150,000 worth of construction machinery has been stolen at numerous Home Depot stores around the Lower Mainland.
Coquitlam RCMP has released photos of the suspect believed to be responsible for the thefts.
Police said the suspect visited Home Depots in Vancouver, Langley, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam where he rented skid-steers using a fake name. He then reportedly removed all the tracking devices from the machinery and never returned them.
Police describe the suspect as 30 to 40 years old, standing between five-feet-seven-inches and five-feet-ten-inches tall, with a medium build.
The suspect was wearing a black baseball hat, dark sunglasses and a grey long-sleeve zip-up hoodie with white text on the front with blue shorts.
“Our investigators believe that the suspect has been committing similar thefts throughout the Lower Mainland and selling the items on third-party websites for below market value,” said Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Alexa Hodgins.
“We are asking anyone who believes they may have purchased a trailer or skid-steer from the suspect to contact the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 and quote file number 2023-15469.”
Police are reminding the public to be diligent when purchasing expensive items through third-party sellers.
Tips for buyers:
- Query the VINs to ensure they aren’t stolen prior to purchase
- Ask the seller if you can take the machinery/vehicle to a reputable mechanic for inspection prior to the purchase
- Ensure both the VINs on the machine/vehicle match