Thursday morning, June 7th, at about 9:30am, a resident in the 4500 block of Blenkinsop road arrived home and surprised a burglar.
The homeowner entered her driveway to find a strange car backed in near to the house. Inside the white Honda were a flat screen TV, game systems and other household electronics.
She then found the front door open and noticed a window that had been accessed into the lower floor of the residence. She then saw someone upstairs in the house and immediately called 911.
Multiple Saanich Police Patrol members were dispatched to the area.
Moments later, the husband arrived home in his truck just as the thief ran from the house and got into the Honda to try and escape. The husband proceeded to drive his large truck into the Honda and pinned it so that the thief could not escape.
The thief then ran from the car in an attempt to escape on foot. A few minutes later the on duty Canine officer arrived on scene. Police Canine ‘Zeke’ was quickly deployed and began tracking the thief. Zeke tracked for several blocks through yards, hedges and fields. The suspect was found hiding in some tall grass in a hay field a few properties away from the burglary.
Arrested was a 36 year old View Royal resident, Michael Van Winkle, who has a lengthy history of property related offences.
Charges include Break and Enter to a Dwelling house and Possession of Stolen Property.
Van Winkle was held in custody to appear today in Victoria Provincial Court.
12-11090