A man with a Canada-wide warrant for robbery was arrested in Richmond, after RCMP spotted him allegedly trying door handles of parked cars in the city centre.
Coleton Szalay — who is in his mid-20s and is from Richmond — was arrested last Thursday after the RCMP’s strike force saw him trying the car doors in the city centre. He was then taken into custody.
Richmond Mounties were carrying out a targeted enforcement for theft from autos at the time of the arrest.
In April 2019, Szalay and another Richmond man, Duncan McCaffery Fowler — who was 25 at the time — were identified as suspects in the robbery of a 77-year-old Vancouver man, according to the Vancouver Police Department. The victim, who was knocked to the ground, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Fowler was arrested in Richmond in May 2019, and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Szalay.
Szalay also had an outstanding warrant for theft under $5,000 in Richmond at the time of his arrest last week.
He also has two new charges against him, which include possession of credit card data and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
Szalay was scheduled to appear in Richmond Provincial Court on Monday, with another appearance set for later this month.
“We are actively out there targeting people who are attempting to commit crimes in Richmond,” said Cpl. Tibor Paldy, of Richmond RCMP’s strike force.
“They won’t see us coming but we are there ready to pounce.”
Richmond RCMP is also reminding individuals to not leave items in their vehicles, even if they are just leaving the car for a quick five-minute stop or to grab lunch. According to RCMP, it only takes seconds for a car to be broken into.
“We regularly see wallets, electronics, backpacks and other valuables left in cars,” said Paldy.
“By always taking these items with you, we can eliminate the ability for these opportunistic criminals to operate in Richmond.”
If you or anyone you know has had their vehicle broken into in Richmond, you can report it either by calling the non-emergency line at 604-278-1212 or through Richmond RCMP’s online crime reporting tool.
