Police say an RCMP investigation has resulted in criminal charges for one man following a break-in reported south of Whistler Village on Tuesday morning, June 6.
In an email on June 7, Const. Katrina Boehmer with Sea to Sky RCMP's Whistler detachment initially confirmed police responded to reports of a break-and-enter on Alta Lake Road at about 9:17 a.m. the previous day. She said Whistler RCMP took one male into custody in relation to the incident, but were investigating to determine the extent of his involvement. Boehmer said the individual is not a Whistler resident, but is known to police in other jurisdictions.
On Tuesday, June 13, Sea to Sky RCMP told Pique Fabian Jackson Daley has since been charged with one count of breaking into an occupied dwelling and two counts of possessing stolen property under $5,000 in connection with the incident. He remains in custody ahead of a scheduled appearance in North Vancouver Provincial Court on June 15.
The matter remains under investigation as police work through the evidence located during the initial stages of the investigation, Boehmer noted in a follow-up email on June 14.
RCMP's initial confirmation of the arrest came in response to questions from Pique after detailed reports about an alleged break-in at Alta Lake Road apartment complex Tamarisk were posted to the Whistler Summer Facebook group on Tuesday.
Boehmer acknowledged "there were items seized on scene," but was unable to provide more detail or confirm the accuracy of the Facebook post's allegations without compromising the ongoing police investigation at the time, aside from assuring the community that "police were and are still on the case."
In a phone call hours after the reported break-in, Tamarisk caretaker Tim Angeloni said he had a "two-second interaction" with a man matching the description of a person suspected of breaking into a unit while its occupants were home that morning.
Angeloni said he was exiting one Tamarisk building when he encountered a man wearing a hi-vis construction vest, who was leaving a neighbouring building through its front door.
"I said, 'Hi, how are you doing?' And he's like, 'fine,' and I noticed he had no teeth. And then in one second he was around the side of the building, and I could hear him muttering back there ... and swearing under his breath," Angeloni recalled.
"And then just at that moment, the resident came out around the other side of the building and said, 'We just got broken into, were you just in our unit?'" Angeloni continued. Confused, Angeloni said he wasn't. "Then it clicked. I started running after the way that guy went, but we never found him."
A female resident allegedly saw the man "rooting through stuff," in the unit.
Angeloni said it appeared someone used tools to break open a lock box located outside the unit, before using the key in the lock box to open the door.
Boehmer noted Whistler RCMP received "a number of calls for service" related to thefts Tuesday, but said she was unaware of any other complaints about break-and-enters. In the email, Boehmer said "there is currently no evidence" to confirm if any of the numerous theft reports are connected.
Speaking Tuesday afternoon, Angeloni said he hoped police could locate the suspect quickly. "It's a pretty scary thing," he added. "You know, it's not just a break-in, it's a home invasion."
Stay tuned to Pique's website or pick up a copy of this week's issue, on newsstands Friday, for more information regarding this incident.
