Man arrested after Saanich seniors find an intruder in their home

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WATCH: A 50-year-old man is facing charges after a Saanich couple returned home to find an intruder in their home. Tess van Straaten reports.

Police are investigating after a brazen daylight break and enter in Saanich. It happened at a home in the 4600-block of West Saanich Road on Monday and the alleged intruder was caught in the act.

“An older couple owns the home. They’re currently not residing in it but they came by to check on the residence,” says Sgt. Jereme Leslie of the Saanich Police Department. “When they arrived they actually saw someone inside their home.”

Police say the couple, who don’t speak English very well, immediately called someone they know for help and that person then phoned police, who rushed to the scene while the couple waited outside.

“We actually had officers very close to the scene at the time and we were able to arrive very, very quickly,” says Leslie.

When police arrived, the suspect ? a 50-year-old man ? was still inside the house. He was arrested but then needed to be treated by paramedics for what police are calling a pre-existing medical condition.

The suspect is known to police and investigators say he has a history of property crimes.

They’re now looking at whether he could be responsible for another break-in nearby. It happened Sunday evening at the Ploughshare Cafe in what is a normally quiet neighbourhood.

“It does concern me and that’s why I came down here,” says neighbour Bob Blakeney. “I used to see some people come through the horse trail that’s adjacent to my property but not now. There isn’t a lot of walk through traffic here.”

Police say coming home to a crime in progress is highly unusual and they’re commending the homeowners for how they handled the situation.

“They showed up, they saw the individual inside and they did the right thing and contacted the police department and we arrived and were able to safely arrest the suspect,” says Leslie. “Most of the break-ins happen during the day when people are away at work and suspects will take advantage of that opportunity.”

The suspect is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday.

Tess van StraatenTess van Straaten

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