Man found hiding in tree after breaking into Victoria home while residents slept

VANCOUVER -- Police in Victoria are thanking the public for their help in locating the suspect in a "very brazen" break-in that took place Saturday morning.

Officers were called to a home in the 3000 block of Blackwood Street around 8:40 a.m. for a report of a break-in in progress.

Police said the suspect had entered the home while it was occupied, and then made his way to the bedroom where the victims were sleeping.

The victims woke up and one of them chased the suspect out of the home before officers arrived, police said.

Victoria police spokesperson Const. Cam MacIntyre described the incident as "very brazen," noting that break-ins don't typically happen at occupied buildings in the city.

"We see break-and-enters in our community, they're not uncommon, but typically, they are to business locations or unoccupied residences where the suspect or thief can obtain some valuables and get away quickly," MacIntyre said.

After arriving at the scene and ensuring that the occupants of the home were uninjured, officers began searching the area for the suspect, calling in a canine team from the Saanich Police Department to help with the search.

While they were looking for the suspect, police began receiving multiple calls from other residents of the neighbourhood, who reported a suspicious man with a description similar to that of the break-in suspect.

Police eventually located the man "hiding in a tree" in the 2900 block of Cook Street. He fled on foot, chased by an officer, who arrested him near the intersection of Cook Street and Kiwanis Way.

After arresting the man, the officer found that he was in possession of a weapon, police said. They did not say what kind of weapon the man was carrying.

Police are recommending charges of breaking and entering and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. They have not released the suspect's name, and they said their investigation is ongoing.

MacIntyre praised neighbourhood residents for their help apprehending the man.

"What's really unique and great about this call is that many members of the community noticed a suspicious man who had fled from the scene who was in their neighbourhood - the 3000 block of blackwood - and they called us," MacIntyre said.