St. Albert police hope the public can help them find some smash-and-grabbers who have ransacked three St. Albert businesses in seven days.
The St. Albert RCMP responded to two break-and-enters this week at businesses in St. Albert. Police aren’t sure if they’re connected, says Cpl. Laurel Kading, but do note similarities between them.
The first break-in happened at the City Shoes store on St. Michael Street on July 14, Kading said. A witness heard the sound of glass breaking at around 4 a.m. and called police. When police arrived they found that the lower pane of the business’s front door had been smashed open. Someone had apparently pried the register open and taken an undisclosed amount of cash. No description of the suspect or suspects was available.
Four days later on July 18, Kading said, a man flagged down patroling officers on Muir Drive at about 10 minutes after midnight, saying that he’d just witnessed a break-and-enter at the nearby Taco Time.
“He’d seen a male with a crowbar smash the glass [door] to the business and then take off,” Kading said.
The officers later found that a second glass door inside the building leading to Just for You Esthetics had also been broken. Business owners were uncertain if anything was taken.
Police aren’t sure if the two crimes are connected.
“At this point, we’ve got broken glass and that’s as much as we have to link [them],” Kading said.
Both crimes appear to be opportunistic attempts to grab cash left overnight in registers.
Police are looking for a slim Caucasian male in his mid-30s in connection with the second break-in, Kading said. The suspect stands about five foot 10 inches and weighs about 170 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans, a green plaid jacket and a pair of yellow gloves at the time of the incident. He also had a crowbar.
“There’s this possibility that someone is targeting businesses looking to get cash from the drawers,” Kading said, which could put many local stores at risk. Local businesses should empty all their cash registers at the end of the day and post signs advertising this fact to deter thieves, she said.
Anyone with information on these crimes should call the RCMP at 780-458-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
