A Sea to Sky Corridor woman is facing an additional charge after she returned to a Saanich home looking for her dog while under court order not to visit the residence.
Erica Marie Wilchuk, who is of no fixed address but usually lives in the Whistler-Squamish area, was initially arrested April 24 in Squamish in possession of a dog that police allege was stolen from a home in Saanich the previous day, Saanich Police said in a statement.
The dog, a nine-month-old husky-German shepherd cross, had been taken to the Whistler Animals Galore shelter on April 6 after having been abandoned during a police incident. He was taken to the Vancouver SPCA and then to the Victoria SPCA, where the Saanich family adopted him, the Victoria Times-Colonist reported.
On April 23, the dog's former owner allegedly entered the home illegally and took the dog, which the family had named Timber. She was arrested the next day in possession of the dog in Squamish and released on conditions, one of which was not to visit the home on Haliburton Road in Saanich.
On Thursday (May 2) at around 12:40 p.m., Saanich Police were notified that the woman had visited the home and pleaded for the return of her dog, Saanich Police Sgt. Steve Eassie said in a statement.
The suspect also indicated that she would likely go to the Victoria SPCA to get her dog back. Police notified the SPCA and received a call that the woman was there. Wilchuk was arrested for a second time.
The location of 'Timber' has not been disclosed by the SPCA, who advise that the dog is in a safe location, away from the shelter, Eassie said.
In addition to charges of possession of stolen property and being unlawfully in a dwelling, she is charged with breach of an undertaking, Eassie said. She was remanded in custody after appearing in Victoria Provincial Court on Friday (May 3), the Times Colonist reported. She was scheduled to enter a plea during a second court appearance on Wednesday (May 8). The results of that appearance were unavailable at press time.
STORY TO RUN SAT., MAY 4:
VICTORIA A 30-year-old woman accused of stealing a dog she once owned was remanded in custody after a court appearance in Victoria provincial court on Friday.
The husky cross named Timber was taken from Erica Marie Wilchuk during a police investigation. The dog was turned in to the SPCA and adopted by a family in Saanich.
Wilchuk, who is of no fixed address but typically lives in Squamish and Whistler, is charged with the theft of a dog on Apr. 23 from the family's home. She is also charged with being unlawfully in a dwelling house and possession of stolen property, the dog.
Wilchuk also faces a charge of breach of an undertaking after she allegedly returned to the Saanich home on May 2 looking for the dog. She was later arrested at the Victoria SPCA. Wilchuk returns to court on Wednesday to enter a plea.
Times Colonist
