The owner of a local business has made public images from a security camera of a man suspected of stealing a wall-mounted heater in hopes of tracking down the alleged thief.
The heater, which features a digital image of a fireplace and was located just inside the building's entrance, was taken from the PG Recycling and Return-it Centre at 2614 Petersen Road, near the intersection of Highway 16 West and Vance Road, on Monday at about 4:30 p.m.
But the security camera caught images of the man taking the heater off the wall and owner Austin Kim emailed them to The Citizen.
It was no instance of a scavenger simply picking up an item left by someone else at the depot before it got processed, according to Kim.
The man had paid a visit two hours before and, after dropping off some plastic milk jugs, moved a cart out of the way so he could reach the heater, unplugged it from the wall and then tried to lift it off the wall mount before getting cold feet.
"There were way to many people around," Kim said.
When he returned, he parked his vehicle so it faced Hollandia Drive and made off with the heater.
Kim said he gave chase but was unable to catch the suspect, who drove off in a wine-coloured sport utility vehicle identified as a late-2000s Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass confirmed a report has been filed with police and they're keeping an eye out for the suspect.
Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to call Prince George RCMP at (250) 561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800) 222-8477, online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only), or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) using keyword "pgtips."
Quote police file number 14-8716.
