Three thieves are getting the kind of attention they don’t want.
A viral video starring three men who broke into a garage in Downtown Squamish at 5:47 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29 has been viewed 53,000 times on YouTube. The video is clear and the three intruders are easily identified from the video footage.
Someone broke into Sean Verret’s vehicle that windy morning and in the vehicle found a garage door opener. The Verret family’s garage door was raised and for the next 27 minutes, three bikes were stolen along with a TV and other items as the Verret family slept upstairs.
Verret discovered the theft later that morning.
He checked his security footage from the motion-detector camera mounted in his garage. After reporting the theft to the RCMP, Verret decided to post the footage to YouTube. Verret hoped someone might see the video and tell the RCMP who stole his stuff. His post caught the attention of thousands of people who shared the two-minute video across a number of social media platforms.
“Thank you to everyone who shared our story,” Verret wrote on his Facebook wall. “Thank you for taking the time out of your day to feel a small amount of what we felt on Monday.”
According to Verret, a number of people have identified one of the suspects as a Squamish man with a history of contact with the RCMP. He was reluctant to share everything he knows because he wants police to be able to maintain the integrity of their investigation.
“What I will say is that a number of tips have been reported to the police by local people here in Squamish,” Verret said today (Jan. 2).
The footage was shared with the Vancouver City Police (VPD). The VPD reportedly recognized one of the men as someone they’ve dealt with before, said Verret.
With the bikes now believed to be long gone Verret doesn’t expect to get them back. He has launched an insurance claim and is working with his insurance provider to replace the stolen items, valued at approximately $15,000.
Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to call the Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100 and speak with Const. Waraich.
