Early Wednesday morning, thieves cut the phone lines to the alarm system at the Mount Doug Market on Shelbourne street, but were caught on covert interior video when they entered.
Wednesday morning, at about 12:15am, Saanich Police Patrol officers responded to a silent alarm activated from the Mount Doug Market at 4101 Shelbourne street. Given the nature of the alarm, officers immediately responded to the area. The first officer on scene quickly located an exterior door that had been pried open.
A short distance away, an arriving Patrol officer located a male acting in a suspicious manner talking on a cell phone. He was approached and recognized by the officer from video taken from a prior break-in investigation and was arrested.
Once the owner of the store arrived, it was found that covert video surveillance was obtained of the thieves inside the store. Despite the phone lines being cut a back-up system still contacted the alarm monitoring company who in turn contacted the Saanich Police.
The video was reviewed by officers and it was found to show the male arrested in the area as having been in the store.
Arrested for Break and Enter was Leo Ernest Lepine, a 43 year old Victoria resident with a lengthy history of similar offences.
The investigation continued yesterday by the Saanich Police Street Crime Unit. Two more suspects, 25 and 27 year old Victoria residents who will appear before a Justice today.
Saanich and Victoria Police also executed a search warrant in the 1400 block of Fort street in Victoria. Eighteen other break and enters with similarities are also being investigated.
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