Barrie police arrested a man following a report of a break-and-enter at a retirement home in the city on Friday afternoon.
Officers say they responded to the situation at 1:00 p.m.
"From the investigation that followed, police have learned that a 25-year-old male from Brampton attended the retirement home at approximately noon hour while the residents were at lunch," police wrote in a release on Tuesday.
"The male then proceeded to locate units that he was able to access and stole a quantity of jewellery. Staff at the retirement home confronted the male as he exited a unit and although he claimed to be employed by an outside nursing agency, they didn’t believe him and held him pending the arrival of officers from the Barrie Police Service."
Police noted a black vehicle parked at the front of the building fled once the man was arrested. They say the driver's identity and the suspect vehicle's licence plate are both unknown.
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The accused was charged with:
- Break and Enter
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
- Fail to Comply with Undertaking
He was held in custody for a bail hearing on Saturday and was released with a Barrie court date in August.
"Barrie Police is reminding the public that when leaving your home, apartment or retirement residence to always lock your door and if you ever see someone who does not appear as if they belong or is acting in a suspicious manner, to always call the police," officers added.
"Private contractors who are on site of apartment buildings or retirement homes to perform a specific work-related task should always have proper photographic identification that identifies them and who they are employed by, should have a contractor tag and should where possible, always be escorted by a staff member.
"Thankfully, no one was injured as a result of this incident and police are working with the staff and residents of the involved retirement home to reunite them with their jewellery."
