Salmon Arm bookstore catches man on camera allegedly stealing Marvel and DC comics

A middle-aged man was allegedly caught on camera stealing Marvel and DC comic books, according to Bookingham Palace in Salmon Arm.

Manager Peter Marsan shared surveillance of the incident on the bookstore's Facebook page March 3.

Employees noticed an above-average loss from the comic section while doing inventory at the end of 2021. When they did inventory again earlier in 2022 they realized more comics had gone missing. So they installed the camera to capture the alleged crime.

Marsan said about 40 books have been lost in total – more in the past few months than the previous two years combined, he said.

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The comics being targeted are not “super rare ones,” he said, but are worth up to $25 each.

“It’s kind of stressful because I’ve got other parts of my job to do,” he said. “I don’t want to have to be standing there all the time worrying about losing over a $100 if I take my eyes off of somebody for 10 seconds.”

In the video, the man can be seen browsing the store before hastily shoving a handful of comics into a blue reusable bag that he unfolded out of his jacket. He then walks down the aisle with the bag in hand. 

While shoplifting is rare at the bookstore, those who do steal typically just take one book, Marsan said, so he finds it peculiar the man allegedly stole so many.

The video has been shared hundreds of times in the past two days but Marsan hasn’t gotten any tips on who the bald man might be.

Marsan said he reported the thefts to the police. The RCMP could not be immediately reached for comment.

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