Would-be cheese bandit cost market $12,000

Cheddar luck next time. Police in North Vancouver are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man suspected of trying to steal over $10,000 worth of cheese from a grocery store in late September.

At 4 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 29, North Vancouver RCMP officers were reportedly patrolling a laneway near East 13th Street and Lonsdale Avenue when they came across a cart full of cheese.

As the officers approached to investigate the cart, a man appeared from a stairwell connected to the Whole Foods location and cheesed it when he caught sight of the police.

“Officers continued with their investigation and noted the suspect had broken into the Whole Foods and was in the process of stealing the cheese when the officers arrived,” Mounties said in a release Thursday.

Police say the store staff helped assess the total cost of the cheese to be $12,800.

“Sadly, the cheese was no longer able to be sold after it left the fridge.”

The North Vancouver RCMP has released a video of the suspect captured on CCTV from inside the Whole Foods.

Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect is asked to call 604-985-1311 and quote file #2024-19909. Those who wish to provide information but want to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).