Three Kamloops businesses report break-ins on same night

Three separate businesses were broken into last, but police say they are unrelated.

Kamloops RCMP first got a report of a stolen truck on Athabasca Street around 2 a.m., Jan. 17. The dark pickup was stolen from a business 40 minutes earlier and was rammed through a gate as the thief escaped.

Police didn't specify where along Athabasca Street the business is, but did say officers were called to a Brocklehurst store "soon after" for another break in.

Nothing was taken from the store on the 2000 block of Parkcrest Avenue, but owners will have to repair the damage.

“A front door was smashed and a nearby vehicle had a window broken, but nothing appeared to be taken," Cpl. Crystal Evelyn of Kamloops RCMP said in a news release.

By 4:30 a.m., a suspect broke into another business a few blocks away.

The suspect was only inside Prestige Parcel on 12 Street for around 10 minutes before they ran off, according to a manager, Wendy, who spoke with iNFOnews.ca.

She said staff made it there within minutes of the break-in, just around the time the suspect fled. She didn't say what was stolen, only that it wasn't "of value to the general public."

READ MORE: Zellers store coming to Kamloops

"They're hitting everything they can get their hands on for fast cash," Wendy said. She refused to provide her last name.

Kamloops RCMP said the Parkcrest suspect was seen on video "hanging around" the area for 30 minutes before breaking the front door. Police said he was wearing light shoes, dark pants and a light hoodie at the time.

It's unclear whether the Prestige Parcel break in is related to others that night, but police suspect the Parkcrest and Athabasca incidents are not related to each other.

Those with information related to either investigation can call the Kamloops RCMP Detachment at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2023-1917 for the Parkcrest incident, 2023-1916 for the one on Athabasca Street.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.