Times Chronicle Staff

A 43-year-old Oliver man is in custody suspected of committing numerous crimes in the community.

Police apprehended the man following three business break-ins on the weekend.

Local RCMP suspect the same man is responsible for numerous other break-ins that plagued the community last fall.

“These break and enters have been a real scourge to our community since early October and there is a lot of evidence that has been gathered that I anticipate will link this same male to a number of those crimes,” said Oliver RCMP Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth.

The latest crime spree occurred on Sunday, Feb. 5, starting at 3:06 a.m. when a commercial alarm was reported to the RCMP at a business in the 200 block of Fairview Road.

“It appeared that a large rock had been thrown through the window and the suspect searched through drawers and cabinets,” Wrigglesworth said.

At 3:38 a.m., police were called to an alarm for a business in the 5800 block of Main Street where a window had been broken with a rock. The suspect entered and removed a small amount of cash and other items.

About an hour later while conducting patrols, police located a broken window at the front door to the A&W restaurant on Main Street. When police opened the locked door to clear the building, an audible alarm activated.

More patrols led police to locate a male on a bicycle who attempted to flee on Skagit Avenue.

“He was taken into custody and found in possession of items linking him to the [previous] break and enters,” Wrigglesworth said.

After a bail hearing the suspect was remanded in custody and will appear in Penticton Provincial Court on Feb. 8.

A follow-up investigation is being conducted at the businesses where evidence has been seized including video, fingerprints and DNA samples.

 “In a short timespan one person is suspected to have committed three break and enters in our small community,” Wrigglesworth said. “I commend the officers who were working during the early hours of Sunday morning for apprehending this person who has caused so much damage in Oliver.”

Mayor Martin Johansen said the amount of police work going on behind the scenes in Oliver is incredible and speaks to the quality of the RCMP department serving the town and rural areas.

“I was always confident the RCMP would bring this crime spree to a successful conclusion with the arrest of the person responsible for this rash of ongoing break-ins.”

The mayor said Wrigglesworth and his team deserve kudos for all their hard work.