A man was arrested by police Sunday night after a security alarm was triggered at a Canadian Tire store in Maple Ridge.
Police were alerted to the break-in around 10 p.m. and dispatched officers to check a secure storage area of the store on 200th Avenue.
Officers initially found no signs of a break-in or anyone in the area.
Just after police left, a second alarm was set off.
Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said this time, a man was found inside the compound.
He was arrested but released on a promise to appear in court in July.
Home invasion
Two women and a man were arrested by police Friday afternoon following a brazen home invasion in Maple Ridge.
Police allege the trio tried to force their way into an apartment in the 22200-block of 122nd Avenue.
The 26-year-old man was armed with a baseball bat.
Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said he hit an occupant of the suite with it.
Police arrested all three inside the suite.
The women, aged 24 and 47, were later released from custody with court appearance set for May.
The man was held in custody for a first appearance in court on Monday.
Police are recommending charges of possession of a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering and mischief to property, which covers the damage done to the apartment.
Police car hit
A woman who crashed into an unmarked police car early Sunday in Pitt Meadows faces drunk driving charges.
Police allege the 19-year-old from Langley reversed into an unmarked police car around 2:20 a.m. in the parking lot of Meadow Vale mall.
The officer, who was uninjured, noted the woman showed signs of being impaired by alcohol. She was taken to the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment where the samples of her breath were analyzed at 1.5 times the legal limit.
She was released from police custody but will have to appear in court to face impaired driving charges.
Warning: break-ins
Ridge Meadows RCMP are warning residents about a rash of residential break-and-enters where thieves targeted electronics.
The latest thefts happened Thursday and Saturday in Maple Ridge.
Thieves entered both homes by prying open doors.
Televisions, DVD or Blue Ray players, computers especially lap tops, jewelery and gaming systems are the most popular items being stolen.
Police believes thieves watch the home owner leave before one of the break-ins and recommend residents look for suspicious people or vehicles in their neighbourhoods.
Dunlop adds that people should tell neighbours when they are leaving for a holiday, so they can keep an eye on the property.
Leave lights, a radio or television on to give the impression that someone is still inside the residence.
Police are looking for a brown or tan-coloured Toyota Camry with four men seen near the scene of a break-in on Ferguson Avenue.
• Anyone with any information is asked to call RCMP at 604-463-6251. To remain anonymous call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at www.bccrimestoppers.com. CrimeStoppers will pay a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Business B&Es
Police are looking for suspects in a pair of break and enters that targeted businesses in Maple Ridge last week.
The first break-in took place Thursday at 11:15 p.m. at a dog grooming business on Dewdney Trunk Road.
A white man in his late 20s or early 30s smashed a front window and stole a laptop computer.
He then rode off on a dark bicycle.
The suspect was wearing a dark-coloured hooded sweatshirt and had a black backpack with yellow on the straps. He was last seen riding west on Dewdney Trunk Rd.
Police patrols, which included a police dog, failed to locate the suspect.
The second break-in happened Sunday at Electra Pizza in the 22500 block of the Lougheed Highway sometime between 3 a.m. and noon.
Thieves smashed a rear window to the restaurant and stole frozen meat and seafood, along with a quantity of alcohol.
The estimated value of the stolen items is $1,000.
Shoplifter
A 44-year-old Maple Ridge man was arrested by police Thursday for shoplifting from a Pitt Meadows store.
The man, who is known to police, was seen leaving the Real Canadian Superstore with over $160 in items he did not pay for.
The man was detained by the store’s loss prevention officer and turned over to police.
During the arrest, police learned he was also wanted on a warrant.
He was held in custody overnight.
Brandy bandit
A Maple Ridge man faces theft charges for stealing an expensive bottle of brandy on Thursday from a liquor store.
Police allege the 26-year-old walked into the Fox’s Reach Liquor Store in Westgate Centre around 10 a.m. and walked out with a $60 bottle of booze.
An alarm was triggered as he left the store and a clerk attempted to stop him.
Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said the man threatened the employee and ran off.
The employee continued to pursue the man and caught up with him a short distance away where he broke the stolen bottle of brandy by throwing it on the ground.
The man ran off again with a second employee giving chase. He was caught, wrestled to the floor and held until police arrived.
Police are recommending charges of robbery, assault and obstructing a peace officer.
The man was held in custody overnight for a court appearance on Friday.
A truck crashed into a house at the northeast corner of Dewdney Trunk Road and Laity Street on Tuesday around 1:30 p.m. The driver of the truck was taken to hospital. The truck first hit another vehicle by Rosewood Street, then travelled east and hit the house. A witness spoke to the driver, who was conscious and shaken up after a possible seizure.