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Suspects in Hamilton-area observatory break-in facing charges: police

The Royal Astronomers Astronomical Society of Canada say their Hamilton Branch suffered a break in at the observatory in Mill Grove which caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Hamilton police say they are investigating the July 3, 2023 incident. Royal Astronomers Astronomical Society of Canada

A woman is facing charges in connection with a break-in at an observatory in Millgrove, Ont., in early July, according to Hamilton police.

The Hamilton branch of the Royal Astronomers Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) says the July 3 break-in caused thousands of dollars in damage after someone drove a truck into two neighbouring buildings at the site.

“Luckily… nothing was taken, but there was extensive damage to … both of the buildings … and several pieces of equipment within the observatory itself,” RASC director of outreach Victor Abraham told Global News on July 13.

Police confirmed the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. with surveillance video revealing a pair of suspects in the case.

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The 30-year-old female was arrested late Thursday afternoon and is facing five charges in all, including two counts of break and enter and two theft-related offences.

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Const. Indy Bharaj says the second suspect, a 26-year-old man, is in the custody of Halton police on an unrelated matter and is expected to be arrested by Hamilton police once released.

“At this time, we believe there was only two people involved. Our investigation hasn’t led us to believe otherwise, Bharaj said.

A GoFundMe campaign launched by a supporter had raised just under $20,000 as of July 13.

The RASC has roughly 5,000 members across Canada, typically composed of amateur astronomers.

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