Video shows 'extremely creative' suspect use forklift to break into B.C. bike shop

Police in Greater Victoria arrested a man early Thursday morning after he allegedly drove a stolen forklift through the front of a bike shop and made off with four e-bikes on the front of the machine.

The suspect didn't get far, however.

Corinne Besler, owner of the family-run Ride the Glide bike shop in Saanich, says she and her husband, Mike Besler, were alerted to the break-in by a security alarm shortly after 1 a.m.

The owners arrived on scene minutes later to find the suspect making a getaway with the bikes atop the forklift.

"They were bouncing around and started to bounce off," Corinne told CTV News. "He ended up driving over one of them, and then he stopped, and he was trying to get away with two bikes."

All four e-bikes, valued at approximately $16,000 total, were damaged beyond repair, according to the owners.

Investigators are still assessing the damage to the building, but the owners estimate the repairs to the windows and doors will cost many thousands more.

'This is very unique'

Corinne said her husband caught up with the suspect before police arrived. The would-be thief was trying to ride away on a stolen bike, while carrying another, before he ditched the merchandise and ran into some nearby bushes, she said.

Saanich police arrived and located the forklift abandoned in the 800 block of Royal Oak Drive. A police dog was deployed and located the suspect, who was arrested at the scene.

"This break-and-enter can be described as extremely creative," Saanich police Insp. Damian Kowalewich said. "Certainly this is very unique, not something I’ve seen in my career."

Police say the man suffered minor injuries during his arrest and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., the province's police oversight agency, has been notified about the incident, but has not confirmed whether a formal investigation into the police conduct is forthcoming.

"We were happy to take this person into custody so quickly," Kowalewich added.

"We know that somebody driving a forklift – in this case, an industrial-type forklift – through city streets has a level of danger attached to itself absent of the actual break-and-enter."

Saanich police arrived and located the forklift abandoned in the 800 block of Royal Oak Drive. A police dog was deployed and located the suspect, who was arrested at the scene.

Staff at the bike shop were still cleaning up debris from the break-in Thursday afternoon. Besler said it is uncertain whether the shop will be able to reopen in the weeks to come.

"We're going to do our very best to service our customers and work around it as best as we can," the owner said. "We might have to do some sort of appointment-only stuff, and maybe, depending on what's happening, have people come in through the back."

Investigators say the forklift had been stolen from a work site in the 4500 block of Elk Lake Drive and has since been returned. "Clearly there is some experience there with operating a forklift, not everyone could do it," the Saanich police inspector said.

The suspect was released from police custody pending his next court appearance.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Shannon Paterson