Suspected underwear thief arrested in Powell River

A suspect in a series of underwear thefts from a locker room at the Powell River Recreation Complex has been arrested, the RCMP says.

Police say the thefts date back to August.

“The [first] victim reported that undergarments had been taken from their locker in the family change room while they were using the pool facilities,” Mounties said in a news release.

“An investigation was initiated, and more reports were received, with three more victims coming forward to report similar incidents in September. In all cases, only undergarments were taken.”

On Nov. 13, police arrested the suspect as he was leaving the rec centre in possession of stolen underwear on Nov. 13.

Staff Sgt. Lee Dyson calls the crimes “concerning” and says the behaviour won’t be tolerated.

“Our investigating officers spent considerable time on this matter, and it was not easy getting to this point,” Dyson said.

“It was challenging to identify the person and gather enough evidence to support charges.”

The suspect has been banned from the facility and will appear in court at a later date, the RCMP says.

Police say they believe there may be other victims are encouraging them to call the Powell River RCMP at 604-485-6255.