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Arrest made after speargun stolen from Victoria dive shop

Victoria police have arrested a suspect in connection with a break-and-enter at a dive store in which the burglar might have worn a clown mask.
Victoria police
Victoria police have arrested a suspect in connection with a break-and-enter at a dive store in which the burglar might have worn a clown mask.

Victoria police have arrested a suspect in connection with a break-and-enter at a dive store in which the burglar might have worn a clown mask.

Investigators took a Victoria man into custody Thursday and recovered a number of stolen items, police said.

On Wednesday, a witness reported a burglary in progress at Frank White’s Dive Store in the 1600 block of Blanshard Street about 6:45 a.m.

One witness told investigators that the male burglar might have been wearing a clown mask. There were also reports of a man with a shaved head, a dark grey long-sleeved sweater and a dark BMX bike in the area.

Police do not believe the incident is linked to the “creepy clown” sightings across Canada and the United States, which have seen individuals dressed as clowns scaring and threatening people.

Dive store owner Gord Oliver said the burglar broke through the front door and stole diving knives, cameras and a speargun. He estimated the value of the goods at $1,500 to $2,000.

Oliver said investigators were “really quite on it, probably because of the knives and I would guess the speargun. It’s dangerous to have people with that who don’t know what they’re doing.”

Oliver said he had yet to hear whether any of the merchandise had been recovered. “I got the phone call that they caught the individual, but I have no idea if they got any of the stuff.”

Police said the suspect could face charges of breaking and entering and possession of stolen property. The man’s name was not released.