A suspected coat thief was arrested in Port Hardy thanks to the help of a citizen.
According to the Port Hardy RCMP, a masked male walked into a clothing store on Dec. 1 and stole more than $500 worth of clothing from the establishment.
Surveillance footage of the store showed the man walking around and shoving coats under his own coat, the detachment said, adding that the store also posted a photo of the suspect on their own social media accounts.
The following day, a Port Hardy RCMP officer was driving downtown when a citizen flagged him down and told him the male suspect from the clothing store theft was walking nearby and pointed him out.
According to the detachment, the officer recognized the man pointed out to him by the concerned citizen and arrested him for theft under $5,000.
The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was later released with multiple conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in February.
Port Hardy RCMP say without the public’s help, locating the suspect would have been far more difficult.
“Without both the post from the clothing store’s social media account and the tips from the public, locating and identifying the suspect would have been much more difficult,” said Const. Rebekah Draht.
Port Hardy RCMP is now asking anyone else with information about the crime to contact them at 250-949-6335.
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