NORTH VANCOUVER — RCMP say officers interrupted a theft at a North Vancouver grocery store that involved thousands of dollars worth of cheese.

They say it happened at the Whole Foods Market in the early morning hours on Sept. 29, but they still haven’t been able to identify a suspect.

Officers on patrol that morning say they came across a cart full of cheese in a laneway, and when they started looking around, a man appeared from a stairwell connected to the store and took off when he saw police.

They gave chase, assuming he was the cheese thief, but the man escaped, and police are now looking for a Caucasian male caught on video in the back of the store who was wearing a black Oakland Athletics baseball cap, white T-shirt and a brown jacket.

Police say the man had broken into the Whole Foods and was in the process of stealing the cheese — valued at $12,800 according to store staff — when officers happened upon the theft.

Unfortunately, police say, the cheese could no longer be sold after it left the refrigerator.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.