UPDATE: 2 p.m.
A downtown Kamloops business owner says he’s out more than $20,000 after being robbed on Wednesday morning.
Lenn Korabanik co-owns RC Nation on Victoria Street West, and just opened his store after Labor Day weekend.
His security camera captured two people breaking in at 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday, who made out with a great deal of gear in less than three minutes.
“The door had been worked open. It wasn’t broken glass, but they actually used a power tool to grind through the lock protection stuff. And then a crowbar, basically to pry the frame away from the door to get thing open.”
He says they went immediately to the most valuable pieces in the showroom.
“They dragged out something in the ballpark of 15 to 17 RCs, we’re just finishing up the inventory on it here today. As well as a pile of accessories. Batteries, and an assortment or electronics that support the RC hobby.”
Korabanik says the culprits left without any remote controls and ironically won’t be able to use the cars they stole. He says they took off in a “rather unique” vehicle: a shuttle bus that was about 20 feet long, with an actual bus door on the side of it and an escape door at the back.
“It was white with smoked-glass windows and was relatively new-looking. So I’m guessing someone somewhere might’ve not had their shuttle bus where they thought it was going to be at 6:20 a.m. yesterday morning.”
He says Kamloops RCMP are following up but to date, no suspects have been apprehended.
“These two dudes were all hooded up with long sleeves. Really frankly hard to tell who they were. Somebody might recognize the way somebody moves, or the obvious logos on the one guy’s shirt. So maybe if somebody knows something and could let the RCMP know that’d be great,” Korabanik says.
Sgt. Darren Michels says those suspects actually broke into two other businesses as well yesterday morning.
Michels says an unnamed business in the 200-block of Lansdowne Street is out about $25,000 in items after the same suspects broke in.
Meanwhile, a 2006 Ford minibus was reported stolen from the parking lot of a business in the 900-block of McGill Road, and it has not yet been found. It has B.C. license plates of NT 4992. Police think the bus had been stolen the night before, and was used to break in to at the two businesses the next morning.
“We are interested in hearing from any additional businesses that may have been targeted by these thieves and have not yet initiated a police report,” Michels says.