Over $130,000 worth of property stolen in Winnipeg; man charged with 69 break-in charges

Winnipeg police say dozens of Winnipeggers were victims of break-ins between January and September 2022 and now officers have arrested the man believed to be responsible for all of them.

Police said over $130,000 worth of property had been stolen from areas in the southwest and southeast part of the city as well as the William Whyte neighbourhood.

In those areas, four homes, three garages, and around a dozen vehicles were broken into. Police said the suspect stole jewelry, bicycles, and two vehicles.

Several wallets were also taken from the vehicles and purchases were made with the bank cards found inside.

In the month of September, alone police said there were five incidents.

One happened in the 800 block of Waverley Street on either Sept. 8 or 9. Police said the suspect broke into a condo residence where a senior was sleeping and stole around $10,000 worth of jewelry and identification. The senior was not harmed.

Then on Sept. 9, the suspect went into the same complex and stole three bikes from another resident's garage.

That same day, police said the suspect sold $1,800 worth of jewelry at a trading store on Henderson Highway.

On Sept. 11, police said a bike worth around $5,000 was stolen from an underground parkade in the 200 block of Wellington Crescent. Then on Sept. 16, a vehicle was broken into in the first one hundred block of Castlebury Court. The remote for the garage was found and used and the suspect stole another bike worth around $5,000 as well as some tools.

This was followed by two cars being stolen between Sept. 19 and 21, when a garage in the 700 block of Weatherdon Avenue was broken into. The two cars – one of which was a Chrysler 300 – were valued at $65,000.

Lastly, on Sept. 21 police were called to a possible break-in in the 300 block of Stradbrook Avenue. A man was found unloading property from a stolen vehicle into the building. Police said he ran when officers arrived but they were able to take him into custody.

Police executed a search warrant for the property and found around $35,000 worth of tools, several bicycles, wallets, various identity documents and shotgun ammunition.

A 35-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with 69 break-in and property-related offences and he remains in custody.