Break-ins are an unfortunate reality for some businesses, but the Nanaimo RCMP are investigating what they're calling a "break-out."

Police were called to a north-end business after a motion detector was triggered at approximately 4 a.m. on Aug. 11.

While reviewing the store's surveillance footage, investigators watched as a man walked out of the store's main entrance.

Employees determined that the man entered the store the night before at 9:06 p.m. and, at some point, entered the men's bathroom and locked himself in a stall.

Nanaimo RCMP

The suspect appears to have remained in the stall until after the store closed before climbing up into the ceiling tiles.

From there, police say the man crawled through the ceiling and then broke through the tiles into the office of the store's loss-prevention officer.

Inside the office, the suspect allegedly grabbed two computer monitors, walked out of the office and out the shop's front door.

Police are asking anyone with information about the crime to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345, or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com or 1-800-222-8477.