A 40-year-old man has been charged with break-and-enter after police located him inside a Nanoose Bay residence and arrested him.
In the late afternoon of Dec. 11, witnesses reported to Oceanside RCMP that someone had broken into a neighbour’s residence in the 1600 block of Beaver Creek Wharf Road in Nanoose Bay and that the suspect was possibly still in the residence.
Officers immediately responded and located a man inside. He was arrested and police said he was found to be in possession of jewelry from the residence.
Timothy Dafoe, of no fixed address, appeared before a justice on Dec. 12 and was charged with break-and-enter to a dwelling house. Dafoe remains in custody, with his next court appearance scheduled for Dec. 19.
Residential break-and-enters are very rare in the Oceanside area, according to RCMP Sgt. Shane Worth, though there have been six incidents reported since late October. In each of the offences, a male suspect purporting to be a roof or gutter cleaner has been seen in the area canvassing for work. While no arrests have been made in the previous break-and-enters.
The witnesses who called police were vital in helping police make an arrest and likely preventing further crime,
said Worth. This incident is a reminder of how important it is to keep in touch with your neighbours, be aware of irregular activities in your neighbourhood and to report suspicious activities to police.
If you would like to learn more about crime prevention programs such as Block Watch for your neighbourhood please visit the Oceanside Community Safety website for information.
