St. Albert police say the city may have a serial thief on the loose after two break-and-enters happened on the same day last weekend.
St. Albert RCMP Cst. MJ Burroughs sent out a notice Nov. 19 asking for the public’s help to catch the person behind a series of thefts from homes in the last month.
In an interview, Burroughs said police had been investigating two break-and-enters of homes in east and southeast St. Albert, specifically in the areas between the Anthony Henday and the Sturgeon River, in recent weeks. Last Nov. 15, they got reports of two more break-ins in that same region.
“For St. Albert, when we’re seeing even two in one day, that’s a huge increase to what we usually see,” Burroughs said.
The first break-in was reported at about 5:35 p.m. on Nov. 15 on Placer Close, she continued. Someone tried to break into a home, but fled the scene without taking anything after breaking the glass on a rear patio door. A witness reported an unidentified male leaving the area at around the same time.
The second break-in happened sometime that same day on Kingsbury Crescent, which is about 1.5 km north of Placer Close, Burroughs continued. Here, someone broke into a home through a basement window and made off with jewelry and other small items.
Burroughs said the timing and location of these thefts, plus the fact that the stolen items were all small and easy to carry, have led police to suspect they were the work of the same person.
“It’s possible it could be somebody that doesn’t reside in St. Albert,” Burroughs noted, but there’s no way to be certain.
Burroughs asked anyone with information on or video of these thefts to call the St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700. She encouraged residents to also report suspicious vehicles, persons, or activity in their neighbourhoods to the police as soon as possible so officers could investigate. Residents should not confront suspicious persons, and should lock themselves in a secure room and call 911 if someone attempts to break into their home.
“Don’t engage. Just call us,” Burroughs said.
Burroughs encouraged residents to take other steps to deter burglars, such as installing an audible alarm system and video cameras, using motion-activated outdoor lights, and locking all exterior doors whenever they are not in their home.
