VICTORIA -- A 36-year-old Victoria man has been arrested for allegedly playing a part in a recent series of break-ins in the downtown core.
Police say that the man was arrested on Thursday after a two-week long investigation came to a head.
Brandon Paul is now facing six charges of breaking and entering and one charge of mischief. At the time of his arrest, he was also wanted on a previous outstanding warrant.
Victoria police say business break-ins have climbed dramatically over the past year. In 2020, 89 business break-ins were reported, the second highest number reported in the city over the past decade. The highest number of break-ins were recorded in 2015, when 93 occurred, followed by 71 reported break-ins in 2016.
While investigators believe that Paul is connected to several recent break-ins, police warn that breaking and entering is expected to continue across the city.
A recent business break-in occurred just before 11 p.m. Thursday in the 100-block of Wilson Street. Police say a window had been smashed in and a cash register was stolen from the store. The register was then emptied of cash and discovered a short distance away from the business.
Police are encouraging all businesses to empty their registers before they close for the day and display the empty cash trays within sight of windows to dissuade thieves from breaking in.
Investigators with VicPD’s Strike Force and Analysis and Intelligence Section (AIS) say they continue to investigate all unsolved business break-ins.
“If you have information about the ongoing break and enters (at) Victoria and Esquimalt businesses, drug trafficking or firearms in our community, you can call the Strike Force line directly at (250) 995-7260,” said police in a release Friday.
