Key Takeaways
- A 40-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with a string of retail thefts across a nine-month span, with over $25,000 worth of items stolen.
- The accused is a "career criminal" with a history of similar offenses, and is known to police.
- The thefts targeted several stores, including multiple Home Depot locations, with the most significant losses occurring at the Empress Street location, where over $13,000 in tools and machinery was stolen.
- The accused would often leave the stores through the garden centers, where security measures are fewer, and load the stolen items into a vehicle.
- Police recovered $5,355 worth of stolen goods, but the whereabouts of the remaining items are unknown.
Introduction to the String of Thefts
A 40-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with a series of retail thefts that took place over a nine-month period, resulting in the theft of over $25,000 worth of items. According to Winnipeg police Const. Claude Chancy, the accused is a "career criminal" with a history of similar offenses, making him a familiar figure to law enforcement. The thefts began in mid-March, with the first incident occurring at the Safeway grocery store located at Osborne Street and Kylemore Avenue, in the south Osborne area. Over the course of four incidents, approximately $1,650 worth of food was stolen from the store by mid-May.
The Targeting of Home Depot Stores
The store that suffered the most significant losses was the Home Depot location on Empress Street, in the Polo Park area, where over $13,000 in tools and machinery was stolen. Home Depot employees confirmed to CBC News that their business was one of the targeted stores. The accused is alleged to have stolen four snowblowers during two visits to the store on November 24 and 25, with two snowblowers taken each day. The man would often leave the store through the garden centers, where there are fewer staff members or security measures, and then load the stolen items into a vehicle. This method of escape allowed him to avoid detection and make off with large and expensive items, such as snowblowers, which would be difficult to conceal.
Other Targeted Stores and Incidents
In addition to the Empress Street Home Depot, other stores were also targeted, including the Home Depot locations on Leila Avenue and Abinojii Mikanah Boulevard. The Leila Avenue store was hit on October 28, resulting in the theft of two pressure washers valued at almost $2,000, while the Abinojii Mikanah store was targeted on October 20, with $1,500 worth of goods stolen. The Abinojii Mikanah store was also targeted on May 29, with $1,116 worth of items taken, and the Leila Avenue store was hit again on August 7, with $2,422 worth of items stolen. Furthermore, items valued at $3,100 were taken from two stores in the shopping district near Kenaston and McGillivray boulevards in mid-June.
Arrest and Recovery of Stolen Goods
The accused was arrested on December 1 in the city’s Centennial neighborhood and charged with theft. At the time of his arrest, he also had five outstanding warrants, some related to other thefts and some for court breaches. Police were able to recover $5,355 worth of stolen goods, but the whereabouts of the remaining items are unknown. According to Const. Chancy, it is unlikely that the stolen goods were hoarded or kept for personal use, but rather were likely sold to make a profit or to support a substance abuse habit.
Conclusion and Implications
The string of retail thefts highlights the ongoing issue of career criminals targeting businesses and making off with significant amounts of merchandise. The fact that the accused was able to evade detection for so long and steal such large and expensive items raises concerns about the effectiveness of security measures in place at the targeted stores. The recovery of only a portion of the stolen goods also raises questions about the fate of the remaining items and the potential for them to be sold on the black market. As the investigation continues, it is likely that more information will come to light about the accused and his methods, and law enforcement will be working to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
