Repeat offender arrested for break-in hours after release from court, Kelowna RCMP say
A notorious repeat offender is in police custody again, just hours after his latest release, according to Kelowna Mounties.
Justin Wayne Collins has been charged with breaking and entering at a retail store on Cannery Lane Wednesday night, Kelowna RCMP said in a news release Friday.
The 46-year-old allegedly committed the crime around 8 p.m., several hours after his release from court earlier in the day, police said. They said he had been in court for several other offences, including theft and mischief, that occurred on Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday's break-in involved the suspect smashing the store's glass front door. Before police arrived at the scene, employees of the business had already recognized the suspect on surveillance video and located him nearby, Mounties said.
The employees recovered some of the stolen items, then alerted police to the suspect's location, where he was arrested and an additional stolen item was recovered, according to police.
Collins was taken into custody and is next scheduled to appear in court on Monday, police said.
It's far from the only time he's been arrested for property crime in Kelowna. Last August, Mounties took the extraordinary step of warning the public about his planned return to the city.
At the time, Kelowna RCMP said Collins had generated 421 police files and been charged with 64 offences since 2016.
“Justin Collins is a prime example of a repeat offender who has shown he is simply unwilling to stop committing crime and victimizing our businesses and downtown core,” said Cpl. Michael Gauthier in Friday's news release.
“A collaboration between attuned business owners, the police and the BC Prosecution Service has resulted in this individual remaining in custody over the weekend whilst seeking further detention.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.