Sunshine Coast RCMP reported the following for March 17 to 24:
Thefts
• Overnight on March 17, a thief gained entry to an unlocked vehicle parked in the 500 block of Sargent Road in Gibsons, stealing a lime green iPod Nano and a Milwaukee construction radio.
• During the afternoon of March 18, thieves gained entry to a vehicle parked in the 200 block of Gower Point Road in Gibsons. The vehicle was full of various items, but the thieves stole a Nikon D60 DSLR camera with case, two or three SD drives, a Garmin GPS unit, an older model Apple laptop computer and a stereo faceplate. Police are reviewing surveillance camera footage.
• Overnight on March 21, a thief gained entry to an unlocked vehicle parked in the 600 block of Farnham Road in Gibsons. The thief stole a wallet containing assorted identification, credit and bank cards and a BC Ferries Experience Card.
The owner, while attempting to cancel the BC Ferries card, learned that the thief had used the card the day of the theft. The file is still under investigation.
• Between March 14 and 16, a thief stole a five-foot tall statue of Jesus from a garden in the 800 block of Gower Point Road in Gibsons. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP at 604-885-2266, reference file 15-1610.
Shoplifting/mischief
• On March 19, police were flagged down by two witnesses who advised they were chasing a shoplifter from a business in the 5700 block of Cowrie Street in Sechelt. The suspect was located in a building in the 5500 block of Shorncliffe Avenue and found to have the stolen item still in his possession. Due to the small value of the stolen item and the age of the suspect, the matter is being referred to the Restorative Justice Program.
• On March 19, a thief stole a large bottle of Crown Royal whiskey from a business in the 900 block of Venture Way in Gibsons. Staff chased the suspect, but lost him once he entered some nearby trails. The suspect is described as a Caucasian male in his late teens or early 20s about five feet, six inches tall, with a slim build and short hair. The suspect was wearing a black ball cap with white script, a white T-shirt and black jacket. The suspect also had a bandana pulled up over the lower half of his face. Anyone with any information about this theft is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 15-1661.
• Overnight on March 22, vandals tampered with signage and tagged property with obscene graffiti at a business in the 4300 block of Highway 101 in Sechelt. Anyone with any information about this and any other incidents of mischief is asked to contact RCMP, reference file 15-1701.
• Scams
A Coast resident reported almost falling victim to a common rental scam after responding to an Internet ad for a house for rent in Sechelt.
The ad writer claimed he would be out of the country on business for an extended period and gave a local address as his house for rent. The resident exchanged several emails with the "landlord" and was asked to send a deposit prior to receiving the house keys by courier. It turns out that the scammer used photos and an address from an actual house for sale on the Multiple Listing Service to create the rental ad. The prospective renter diligently attended the house before sending any money, and was told by the home owner that the house was in fact not for rent. To learn more about this, and other common consumer scams, visit the Better Business Bureau at: www.bbb.org or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at: www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
• On March 23, a Coast resident reported receiving a call from a male purporting to be a Canada Revenue Agency employee. The caller told the resident that she had committed tax fraud and unless she gave him her personal information and paid an amount owing, she would be arrested immediately. Fortunately, the resident recognized this as a common type of fraud and ended the call without providing any information.
