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.