VICTORIA -- Vancouver Island RCMP say that the man who is believed be recorded on video surveillance stealing a custom-made wooden bear statue from a Chemainus ice cream shop has been arrested on unrelated charges.
The saga began early Monday morning when the man was seen on video surveillance forcibly removing the statue. One day later, on Tuesday, the statue was discovered on a forestry road in the area along with an apology note.
The note read, "I am so sorry for taking the bear."
The wooden bear is one of three bear mascots outside Baby Bear's Ice Cream Shoppe. The business's owner, Kathy Yeager, told CTV News on Monday that it was the third time one of the carvings had been stolen.
The hand-carved bears are made by an artist from Oregon and cost thousands of dollars each, she said.
The RCMP are thanking the public for circulating the surveillance video, which helped identify the suspect and led to the recovery of the bear.
Police say that charges have not been laid as of Wednesday morning, and that further details will be released later Wednesday.
