Saanich police are warning homeowners to be wary after two men were arrested for apparently sheltering in a motorhome and a camper on two properties several kilometres apart.
Both cases were reported to police on Wednesday, with the first coming about 10 p.m. at a home in the 3800-block of Douglas Street.
The homeowner looked out a window and saw a naked man trying to use a garden hose near the motorhome. He then entered the RV and shut the door.
Police were called and found a man, still naked, inside the motorhome. They said it appeared he had been living there for at least a few days.
He was arrested and is facing a charge of breaking and entering.
The motorhome had to be sent away for cleaning because of excrement left behind.
The second incident was reported about 30 minutes later by the Barnabe family on Wilkinson Road. The family had just returned from vacation and found the door to one of their camper units open.
There was unfamiliar clothing inside, so Mike Barnabe decided to install an alarm. The alarm was activated by movement in the camper later in the day, which is when police were called.
The family also has security video showing someone breaking into the unit via a vent in the roof.
Police responding to a call from the family arrived and found the camper door shut. When they tried to open it, it was being held closed. Police said the man inside eventually opened the door, likely persuaded by the barking of police dog Hitch.
The man was arrested for breaking and entering and was found to be wanted on six warrants.
Krista Barnabe said someone also spent time in the camper last year but was never caught.
She said the man who was found this time was apologetic and said he just needed somewhere to stay.
“It’s pretty disconcerting having someone so close,” Barnabe said. “We have small children.”
She said she’s surprised someone would choose that high-visibility location to occupy a camper. “This is such a busy street, so we didn’t think it would happen.”
Saanich police Sgt. Julie Fast said the incidents are reminder that for those seeking shelter, an RV parked on a property can be appealing as a temporary home. “So if you are an RV owner, take the time to frequently check your RV and ensure it is secure and untampered with.”
Triangle RV parts manager Dale Lansdowne said he has never heard any other reports of people having their RVs used by strangers. “So far, it’s the first I’ve heard of that happening,” he said.
Joan Jackson, executive director of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association of B.C., had a similar response.
“That has not come across my radar whatsoever,” she said. “To find somebody squatting or living in your personal property, that’s something for the [police] to go in there and get that person out.”
Alarm systems for RVs are starting to become more readily available, Jackson said.
Our Place spokesman Grant McKenzie said the incidents demonstrate the shortage of adequate housing.
“When your base is about survival, you’re going to look for anything to get you through the night,” he said. “It seems it’s quite a population out there of people who are looking for any place to sleep.”
While some might seek out RVs, others sleep in their own vehicles, McKenzie said.
“There are a lot of people living in their vehicles around Victoria that aren’t necessarily counted as part of the homeless counts.”
Randy Cartwright, 21, and Jesse Juba, 20, appeared in court Thursday in connection with the RV break-ins.
