Mounties are calling it “not your typical” early morning theft after a man known to employees of the Chemainus Rexall drug store “jumped the counter at the pharmacy and snatched up a bottle of methadone.”
The 39-year-old Ladysmith man had previously been banned from the store after catching the eye of staff on previous occasions, police said.
But, just after 8 a.m. on Sept. 22, the man ignored the ban and made his move.
“On this occasion he donned a mask,” said a press release issued by North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Krista Hobday. And he went for the methadone.
“Drugs in hand, he fled the store and headed toward Waterwheel Park,” the release said.
But employees had a pretty good idea of who the thief was.
A disguise wasn’t going to change that. They alerted police to their potential suspect.
With that information in mind, Const. Garfield Henderson of the Police Dog Service and his canine partner, Enzo, set out to track their man.
“A witness in the park was able to add a vehicle description to assist the investigation, as he witnessed the suspect get into a dark coloured SUV-type vehicle and speed away,” Hobday’s release said.
With the help of the Ladysmith RCMP, the suspect was located at his residence in that town and was arrested on theft charges. He also picked up a date in court. “A job well done by all involved to bring this suspect in front of a judge,” Hobday said. “The bottle of methadone cost $12, the damage to the store and its equipment is estimated to be $1,000.”