BARRHEAD - A 37-year-old Barrhead man faces several serious charges thanks to a prompt report from a resident who witnessed a man vandalizing a pickup truck.
Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds said through a media release that at about 10:30 a.m., June 8, police received a report of a man who was hitting a parked vehicle in a residential neighbourhood in the Town of Barrhead.
By the time the police arrived, the suspect had fled the scene, but when they queried the vehicle, which had its headlights, tail lights and mirrors smashed, they learned it had been stolen from a County of Barrhead property two days earlier.
However, thanks to the description police received from the caller, they found the suspect at a nearby residence where officers arrested him for mischief without incident.
Dodds noted the individual is a "prolific property offender."
After further investigation, police secured a search warrant for the residence and executed it that evening.
"During the search, police seized property linked to at least eight previous theft files," Dodds stated, adding by the time the dust settled, he believed police would be able to link the items to even more files.
All of the thefts, with one exception, occurred in or near Barrhead between October 2020 and June 6, 2023.
"The suspect has been charged on 40 files since 2015, resulting in 37 criminal convictions, and the Crown has withdrawn at least 67 other charges," Dodds said.
The individual faces a charge of mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with an undertaking for the events connected to June 8.
Dodds added several additional possession of stolen property charges are still pending.
The individual appeared in court June 12, where his item was put over until June 27.
In a follow up interview, Dodds said they are still piecing together a case, and so far the individual has been only charged with mischief. However, he was confident that several additional charges will be added.
He noted that among the items they found when police executed a search warrant were several vehicle keys, including the ones taken in the June 5 break-in of the County of Barrhead public works shop in which an ALUS pickup was stolen.
The truck has since been recovered, though it did suffer some damage when the thief smashed through the public work gates in their escape.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
