Police dog sniffs out break-in suspect targeting restaurants

NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
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In the early morning of Jan. 3, 2023, 1 District – St. Catharines/Thorold uniform officers from the Niagara Regional Police Service began a series of commercial break-and-enter investigations in the City of St. Catharines.

At 1:08 a.m., officers responded to a restaurant on Hartzel Road near Admiral Road for a report that management had gone to the restaurant to investigate an alarm and found a break-and-enter had occurred. The suspects had fled prior to management's arrival.

At 1:17 a.m., officers responded to another restaurant on Glendale Avenue near the Glendale Avenue Bridge. A member of the public had witnessed two suspects break into the restaurant. The two suspects fled the scene in a Nissan Altima that was determined to be stolen.  

At 2:02 a.m., officers responded to the third restaurant on Scott Street West near Hiscott Street. Management had received an alarm, and upon reviewing their security cameras remotely, saw two break-and-enter suspects in the restaurant. The suspects had fled in the stolen Nissan.

At 2:13 a.m., officers responded to a fourth break-and-enter call, this time to a restaurant on Martindale Road near Hannover Drive. An officer responding to the call located the Nissan abandoned in the area of Hillview Road and Kent Street. Officers set up a perimeter, and police service dog (PSD) Jax attended with his officer handler and commenced a track. The track led officers through the thick underbrush along 12 Mile Creek, over a fence and into a backyard on Hillview Road. PSD Jax located a male suspect hiding in the backyard. At 2:57 a.m., the suspect was arrested without incident. Offence-related property was located on the suspect during a search. Officers were not able to locate the second suspect.

During the course of the investigation, officers determined the theft of the Nissan came as a result of a break-and-enter at an automotive repair shop on Lincoln Street in St. Catharines on Jan. 2, 2023.

Raven James Tempest, 31, of St. Catharines has been arrested and charged with the Criminal Code offences of:

• Break and enter commit - place other than dwelling (three counts)
• Break and enter non-dwelling with intent (two counts)
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
• Trespass at night
• Fail to comply with a probation order
• Theft of motor vehicle

Tempest was held in custody for a video bail hearing that occurred on Jan. 3, 2023, at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines.

1 District St. Catharines detectives from the Street Crime Unit are continuing this investigation in an attempt to identify the second suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1024233.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.

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