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Man arrested in connection with string of liquor store break-ins in Saanich

Saanich police have a suspect in custody in connection with a rash of break-and-enters this month. There were six break-and-enters at Saanich liquor stores between Oct. 2 and Monday.
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Saanich police

Saanich police have a suspect in custody in connection with a rash of break-and-enters this month.

There were six break-and-enters at Saanich liquor stores between Oct. 2 and Monday. In each incident, glass windows or wall panels were carefully removed to allow access. Wine, beer and other alcoholic products were stolen.

At about 3:30 a.m. Monday, a Victoria police officer stopped a vehicle on the Patricia Bay Highway near McKenzie Avenue that he knew was associated with a person wanted on a warrant and property-crime charges. The driver, a 40-year-old man, was arrested.

At the same time, a Saanich officer attended a liquor store on West Saanich Road and discovered there had been a break-in there. A window pane had been removed.

Bottles of liquor from the store were found in the vehicle that was stopped.

“The [thief] clearly knew how to remove large panels of glass carefully, which would have afforded them a rather quiet entry into the store,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades. “This is not a common means of breaking into a building, nor a skillset common without previous training or knowledge.”

The investigation is ongoing.