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Thieves access more loot thanks to unlocked doors in Whistler homes

Five incidents in two weeks have police asking for homeowners to take care
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LOCK UP: Opportunistic thieves are staeling from homes with unlocked entrances. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Thieves have nabbed expensive sunglasses and electronic equipment in two break-ins in the last week, and like three unrelated break-ins the week before, police are saying opportunists were able to take advantage of unlocked doors.

"We had two break-ins, one on Juniper and one on Archibald and they're not that far away. In both these two cases and the three from last week, the culprits went through unlocked doors, but these two have a different flavour from the Settebello (Drive) incidents from last week," said RCMP Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair of the Whistler RCMP detachment.

"I'm thinking these two could be linked to each other but not to the other ones. But we are still looking into those earlier ones and we hope to make some progress."

In the most recent incidents, on October 16 at 2:58 p.m., thieves got in through an unlocked door at a property in the 3200-block of Archibald Way in Whistler. It resulted in two pairs of sunglasses located immediately beside the door being stolen. They were valued at $400 in total, said LeClair.

The second theft, called in on October 21 at 4.25 p.m., took place at the 3200-block of Juniper Place on Oct. 15. Taken from the residence was a laptop computer, an iPod and a set of speakers.

'Prolific thief' stopped on Village Stroll

Officers recognized a man walking past them on the Village Stroll and stopped him because he was a "prolific property thief" and at the time was wearing gloves and carrying a full backpack.

During the incident, which took place on October 17 at 10:35 p.m., police acted because believed the man was under conditions not to be found in Whistler and not to be in possession of instruments that could be used for break and entering.

"When police approached the male, he denied the bag was his and the male confessed that he was under conditions not to have break-and-enter tools, and said that the bag belonged to a friend," LeClair said.

Police searched bag and the man was arrest for possessing break and enter equipment and breach. The 33-year-old Squamish man was held for a court appearance.