West Shore RCMP say they arrested a 43-year-old man accused of stealing two phones and making fraudulent purchases last week on Vancouver Island.
Police say the phones were taken from a car parked at Sombrio Beach parking lot near Port Renfrew Nov. 4, along with a wallet.
Tomas Szalay is accused of using the stolen credit and debit cards at a store near Duncan.
Police say after video surveillance identified Szalay as a “chronic offender” and the West Shore detachment took over the investigation.
Police say Szalay was caught on surveillance multiple times making nearly $300 in illegal transactions.
Szalay was arrested Nov. 8 in Langford and is charged with one count of theft, three counts of possession of stolen property and two counts of fraud.
“Tracking down a suspect who is travelling from jurisdiction to jurisdiction committing crime is a challenging task,” West Shore RCMP Cpl. Fred Ritchie said.
Our Crime Reduction Unit not only located the suspect within days of the offence, but also gathered individual pieces of evidence regarding fraud at various locations outside of the West Shore. This is a testament to the skill and dedication of the unit.
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