A 31-year-old individual is now facing 18 charges following three separate break-in incidents within a 14-minute timeframe in the western area of St. John’s during the weekend. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary reported that at approximately 4 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a break-and-enter call at a residence on Heavy Tree Road, but the suspect had already fled. Subsequently, a crashed vehicle was discovered on the same road, identified as a stolen vehicle that had evaded a previous attempted traffic stop earlier that night. Law enforcement suspected the driver of the vehicle to be linked to the break-in.
While searching for the suspect, two additional break-in reports were received from neighboring homes on the street. The second break-in occurred at 4:06 a.m., followed by another at 4:14 a.m., which involved a physical altercation resulting in non-life-threatening injuries to the homeowner. The suspect managed to escape on the homeowner’s bicycle during the last incident.
Authorities used police dogs to track down and arrest the man around 4:40 a.m. in the vicinity of Robert E. Howlett Drive after a brief struggle. During the arrest, the individual provided a false name, displayed signs of impairment, and declined a drug recognition assessment. The suspect is now facing multiple charges, including robbery with violence, theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property, and assault causing bodily harm.
In addition to the charges, the man was apprehended on several outstanding warrants and has been detained for a court appearance, as confirmed by the authorities.
