On November 25th Regional Crime Unit officers focused their investigation on a property offender suspected of being responsible for a rash of recent thefts across the capital region.  Officers observed the male acting suspiciously inside the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, which had been the site of recent thefts, before following him to the nearby Victoria Curling Club.  Inside the curling club officers watched the male as he used tools to pry open a pull tab vending machine and steal a large quantity of pull tab lottery tickets.  Regional Crime Officers immediately arrested the male and he was held in custody to attend court while the investigation into his activities continued.

At the time of his arrest, the male was found to be in possession of cell phones and iPods which had been stolen from S.J. Willis School on November 16th.  Follow-up investigation has revealed that the same male was responsible for a theft of cash from the locker room at Oak Bay Recreation Centre, which occurred on November 11th.  He is also being charged with thefts from wallets and purses on November 14th at Oak Bay Lodge, and on November 24th at the Lansdowne campus of Camosun College.

Video evidence from the surveillance cameras at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre assisted investigators in identifying the suspect.  This remarkable video shows the suspect casually blending in with other patrons and then brazenly searching through insecure lockers to commit thefts of personal property.  Police would like to remind the public to secure their valuables and take note of suspicious persons and activity.  Thieves such as the one in this case actively target public places where valuable personal items are all too often easily available. 

38 year old Jason Paul JEANNEAULT of no fixed address has been charged with Mischief Over $5000, Theft Under $5000, and Possession of Break-in Instruments in relation to offences committed at the Victoria Curling Club.  He has also been charged with one count of Possession of Stolen Property Under $5000 and six counts of Theft Under $5000.  JEANNEAULT appeared in Victoria Provincial Court on December 11th and has since been remanded in custody until December 30th.

(RCU 09-118)