Police in Oak Bay are investigating two break-and-enters at an under-construction commercial complex that resulted in copper wiring and pipes being stolen.
The first break-in occurred overnight May 3 at the construction site in the 2000-block of Cadboro Bay Road.
A worker noticed part of the temporary fencing had been removed and the thief gained access by tampering with a door keyhole, according to police.
Around 100 feet of copper wiring was stolen from the site along with a Dewalt charger, batteries and two-way radios.
The second theft occurred May 9 at the same site.
Police discovered a main entrance sliding door was propped open and found not to be secure.
This time, the thief made off with more copper pipes.
“The theft of copper is not unusual as it is valuable and can be difficult to trace,” said Oak Bay Police Chief Ray Bernoties.
“In this case, a large building is being torn down so the thief has taken advantage of this despite some security presence. We have increased our patrols and asking neighbours to call if they see or hear anything suspicious.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Oak Bay police at 250-592-2424.
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