Police are encouraging Calgarians to properly lock their garages following the arrest of a 22-year-old man in connection to a series of crimes of opportunity.

According to members of the Calgary Police Service (CPS), between Monday, March 2 and Friday, March 6, a suspect entered four unlocked residential garages in the southeast communities of New Brighton and Walden and stole a number of undisclosed items.

A resident spotted a man with a saw underneath a truck and confronted the suspect. The suspect fled the area.

Following an investigation into the matter, police arrested and charged 22-year-old Dylan Allan Gontar.

Gontar faces charges of:

  • Break and enter (four counts)
  • Trafficking in property obtained by crime (four counts)
  • Tampering with a motor vehicle

According to police, garage break-and-enters and car prowlings are on the rise in communities in south Calgary in 2015.

In January and February of 2015, District 8 police investigated:

  • 65 detached garage break-and-enters
  • 281 car prowlings

In January and February of 2014, District 8 police Investigated:

  • 15 detached garage break-and-enters
  • 160 car prowlings

To ensure your garage is protected, police recommend:

  • Closing and locking garage doors
  • Remove automatic garage door openers from parked vehicles

Police have increased patrols in south Calgary neighbourhoods to combat the increase in car prowlings and garage break-ins.