A would-be Grinch was nabbed by the Oceanside RCMP two days before Christmas after stealing mail from the outgoing mailbox of a downtown Parksville apartment complex.
The suspect, a 20-year-old male who is not from the Parksville Qualicum Beach area, admittedly entered the apartment complex, broke into the mail box and stole outgoing items, according to RCMP.
"Luckily, tenants reported the suspicious-looking male to police," RCMP spokesperson Jesse Foreman said in a news release.
The suspect told police he had been staying at the homeless shelter in Parksville for the past two weeks. He has since been released on a Promise to Appear in Court and is facing recommended charges of theft of mail, possession of stolen property and theft under $5000.
All the holiday mail has since been sent and/or returned to the rightful owners, Foreman reported.During the investigation, the manager of the building advised police that there had been an attempted theft of a vehicle from the same complex just nights prior. This incident was not reported to police, and Oceanside RCMP would like to remind the public to report property crimes and any other crimes they have witnessed or fallen victim to.
These reports help the police and community safety volunteers to focus their patrols on areas where crime is being committed.
Anyone with information concerning this incident or any other crimes committed in the Oceanside area is requested to contact the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477.
— NEWS Staff/RCMP news release