VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Vancouver Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect in the theft of 10 valuable hockey jerseys which were supposed to be auctioned for the B.C. Children's Hospital charity.
A total of eight Vancouver Canucks jerseys and two Team Canada Roberto Luongo jerseys were stolen from a Marine Drive car dealership (Dueck). They were slated to be auctioned as part of the Scott Hetherington Charity Hockey Tournament and Fundraiser.
VPD Constable Lindsey Houghton says the jerseys could have raised thousands in the charity auction. "This money could have been raised to potentially save a child's life. That child could be my child, it could be your child. That's money that is being taken away from B.C. Children's Hospital."
Houghton says the suspect waited inside the car dealership on Sunday afternoon until all the staff left. "It takes a certain type of person to lay in wait for a business to close, so they can steal from it. It takes another type of person altogether to wait for that business to close, go into an office and steal items earmarked for B.C. Children's Hospital."
Investigators believe the man gained access to the mechanic’s lunchroom by jimmying the door at approximately 5:11 p.m. Surveillance footage shows the man making his way back to the showroom floor and then up to the management offices, where he found a lap top and the hockey jerseys.
The suspect, thought to be in his early 30's, is described as 5' 5" to 5' 7" tall. He was wearing a black Callaway golf baseball hat, a black hoodie with a large colourful design on the back and right sleeve, a black t-shirt with a gold eagle design on the front and light-coloured designer jeans with white designs on the rear pockets.
The items stolen were:
· two Canucks Trevor Linden #16 original autographed home jerseys, adult size
· two Canucks Trevor Linden #16 children’s size jerseys
· two Team Canada Roberto Luongo #1 home jerseys, adult size
· one Canucks Roberto Luongo #1 home jersey, adult size
· one Henrik Sedin #33 away jersey, adult size
· one Daniel Sedin #22 home jersey, adult size
· one Alex Burrows #14 away jersey, adult size
· one Sony VIO white lap top
Anyone with information about the person responsible for the theft, or knowing the whereabouts of any of the stolen property is asked to call Vancouver Police at 604-717-2773 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.