Two men have been arrested in relation to a series of break-ins that have taken place in the Townline Hill area of Abbotsford since last November.
Shane Conrad Takakenew, 45, of Surrey and Dustin Littlewolfe, 30, of Vancouver were arrested Sept. 29 following an investigation that was headed by the crime reduction unit of the Abbotsford Police Department.
Takakenew has been charged with four break-and-enters – on April 29, Aug. 8, Aug. 14 and Sept. 24 of this year. Littlewolfe has been charged with the break-in on Sept. 24.
Const. Ian MacDonald said police are continuing to investigate to determine how many other break-ins the pair might be involved in from among the 38 recorded in the west Abbotsford area in the last 11 months.
The total value of the stolen property – mainly cash, jewelry and electronics – amounted to $750,000.
MacDonald said Takakenew and Littlewolfe are also being investigated for similar crimes in Surrey and Coquitlam.
He said two factors were vital in the arrests: video footage obtained from cameras in the areas of the break-ins and assistance from RCMP in Surrey and Coquitlam.
MacDonald said the “comprehensive and challenging” investigation also included the efforts of patrol, forensic, crime analyst and emergency response team resources.
He said police executed several search warrants to seize items believed to be connected to the break-ins. He said police will get in touch with the victims, and it’s not necessary for them to contact investigators.
It could take some time to match the stolen items to their owners, MacDonald said.
Police first reported the series of break-ins in mid-November, 2014 after seven homes had been targeted in the Blueridge Drive and Townline Hill area.
The largest theft of all 38 occurred during this period, when $50,000 in foreign currency, jewelry and electronics were taken from one home.
At the time, police said all the thefts had occurred between 3 and 7 p.m. and involved the culprits getting in the homes by prying open a locked window.
Police believed the suspects were watching the homes to determine when they would be vacant.
MacDonald said the targeting of that particular area of Abbotsford led investigators to initially believe that the thieves resided in the neighbourhood.
According to the provincial court database, Takakenew has three prior convictions for break-and-enter and one conviction for assault.
Littlewolfe has prior convictions for assault, breaching his probation and mischief.