It took less than 30 seconds for a brazen Burnaby thief to search a parked vehicle with his flashlight, smash one of its windows and make off with valuables he found inside last month.
The whole thing was captured on a home security video released by Burnaby RCMP Thursday.
“This video captures the speed at which these thefts take place,” Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Mike Kalanj said in a press release.
The incident, reported to police on July 13, took place overnight in a residential area of Brentwood, police said.
Police released the video in the hopes someone in the public would be able to identify the suspect.
The video shows the man get out of what police believe to be a newer model white Audi Q5 and walk into a carport with a flashlight and a screwdriver or other small prying tool.
He scans the inside of one of the vehicles in the carport with a flashlight and tries the door before looking around and then prying the front passenger-side window with the tool until it shatters.
He then grabs items from the car, runs back to his vehicle and drives off.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Burnaby RCMP’s prolific offender suppression team at 604-646-9999. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-8477.
Besides asking the public for help identifying the culprit, police also shared some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of car break-ins:
- Never leave valuables on display in your vehicle
- Report any suspicious behaviour in your neighbourhood to police immediately
- Ensure you have good lighting in your driveway or carport
- Keep serial numbers for any valuables in your vehicle
“It’s simple, if you take away the opportunity, there’s a higher potential you’re going to take away the crime,” Kalanj said.
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