$10,000 Gretzky hockey jersey stolen from Kelowna store

A $10,000 signed Wayne Gretzky hockey jersey was among tens of thousands of dollars worth of sporting memorabilia stolen from a Kelowna store during a break-in last night.

According to a Kelowna RCMP media release, Player's Choice Sports was broken into Feb. 7 by a lone suspect who used a hammer to smash the front window.

Police say they got the call at 2:10 a.m. and neighbours reported hearing the loud break-in.

When police arrived at the store in the 400 block of Cawston Avenue one of the owners was already there.

One of the items stolen was a signed Gretzky Racers hockey jersey which is number 29 of 250. The jersey is described as white with red and blue trim and valued at $10,000.

Several boxes of sports memorabilia cards were also taken with a value of approximately $20,000.

Police say the owners are still compiling a list of the items that were stolen.

"A theft like this causes immense financial harm to a small local business in our community and the RCMP is going to use every investigational tool possible to find and arrest those responsible," Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera said in the release.

A suspect was captured by CCTV and police are hoping the public will be able to identify the person.

Kelowna RCMP is asking the public for information or dash camera recordings from the area to call the Kelowna RCMP Detachment at 250-762-3300 and reference file number 2023-6904. Or remain anonymous by calling the Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.

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