Several businesses in the Barrie area are demanding an increase in police patrols after more than a dozen vehicles were damaged over the span of a couple of weeks.
Police are combing through surveillance video to identify the suspect they believe is responsible for breaking into vehicles at several businesses in the Tiffin and Brock area.
Surveillance video shows the suspect checking out customer’s vehicles in a secured parking lot at Zenetec late Monday night. Soon after, he starts smashing the windows, breaking into 13 vehicles at the body shop.
“All the vehicles had been locked,” said Zenetec General Manager, William Monteith. “We thought this was a one-off situation.”
The same man is believed to have struck again just before midnight on Wednesday targeting six more vehicles in the same lot.
And surveillance video from Dempster Automotive Supplies shows three company vehicles were broken into last week.
Constable Nicole Rodgers says Barrie Police believe the same suspect could be responsible for the rash of vehicle break-ins at five locations in the area and possibly more.
“We have attended a few businesses in that area that have reported similar mischief calls,” says Rodgers. “At this point, we’re looking at over a span of a couple of months. We will be comparing them to see if they’re related.”
Investigators are trying to identify the suspect at the body shop, and customers are being notified. The damage totals 30-thousand dollars.
“It’s really frustrating to know this guy is still out there. Every night could be something else,” said Monteith.
Some of the affected businesses have since upgraded their security systems. In the meantime, Barrie police say officers will be increasing their patrols in the area at night.
