A 52-year-old Chilliwack has been charged in connection with an early morning smash-and-grab at Mary’s on Wellington in October.
Kevin Alexander Point is charged with one count of break and enter and commit an indictable offence in connection with the Oct. 19 break-in.
An all-too frequent target of theft, owner Mary Urquhart’s intimate apparel and sleepwear store has a fully monitored security system and surveillance video. Footage from this incident and one earlier in the week were given to police.
The footage from Oct. 19 showed a male suspect entering the store, taking merchandise and fleeing on foot.
The suspect was subsequently identified as Point and arrested by police later that day.
“The CCTV surveillance footage was key in this investigation,” said Chilliwack RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Krista Vrolyk.
Point has a lengthy criminal record mostly for thefts and break-and-enters, but also mostly from more than 20 years ago in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.
Point was scheduled for a first appearance in court on Jan. 10 but he did not show up and a warrant was issued. Warrants were also issued for Point after scheduled appearances on Jan. 17 and Jan. 24.
He is not in custody and is due in court next Feb. 14 at 9 a.m.
After the Oct. 19 break-in, Urquhart posted on social media that she was feeling, “extremely defeated/deflated by all of this continual community vandalism!”
Several people jumped into action with a desire to help including Jamie Clare, and Kristofer Schmidt, as well as Chilliwack Mural Festival officials Lise Oakley and Amber Price.
A window repairman from Crystal Glass came and removed the broken glass, and boarded up the window.
Then, volunteers painted over it with black paint in order to place a temporary mural on it, painted by artist Irene Yeramiahina.
Urquhart was thrilled by the quick response, thanking them “for zipping down and making magic happen” by painting over the vandalized storefront.
Other downtown merchants have also complained about smash-and-grab thefts in recent months.
READ MORE: Downtown Chilliwack merchants plagued by smash-and-grab thefts
READ MORE: Volunteers rallied to help after another smash-and-grab at Mary’s in Chilliwack
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