Students and staff at Cedar Grove Elementary School got an unexpected day off Wednesday after a break-in forced a one-day closure of the school.
Sunshine Coast RCMP responded to an alarm call at the school in Gibsons at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Officers arrived on scene to find a smashed exterior window on the west side of the building. Police entered the school and observed multiple broken windows and doors throughout the building, as the suspect broke into several rooms searching for items to steal.
Cpl. Murray McNeil said police located a male hiding in a nearby wooded area, who tried to flee the scene when police approached him.
McNeil said the suspect dropped a DVD player and a television as he attempted to escape.
"The male was arrested after a foot chase through the underbrush," said McNeil. "A 19-year-old Gibsons man was arrested at the scene. He is currently in custody."McNeil said the suspect is facing charges of break and enter and theft, mischief and possession of stolen property. The suspect is also facing charges for a break and enter and theft from the school the previous night on Tuesday, Jan. 12, where the school was entered through a broken window. In this instance, a laptop and desktop computer were stolen.
The RCMP forensic investigation team from North Vancouver arrived on the Coast Wednesday morning and were at the school throughout the morning examining the scene and collecting evidence.
School District No. 46 superintendent Deborah Palmer said classes were cancelled for the day to allow police time to complete their investigation and allow maintenance crews time to clean the school and repair the damage.
