Video shows suspects smashing Olympic cauldron in downtown Vancouver
Authorities have released video of two suspects vandalizing part of the Olympic cauldron in downtown Vancouver over the weekend – an act police have described as "planned and deliberate."
The 51-second video shows the unidentified suspects approaching the cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza early Saturday morning, pulling out some kind of tool and smashing the tempered glass covering one of the pillars.
One of the suspects appears to be recording the vandalism on a cellphone or camera.
“The video of the two suspects destroying a piece of Vancouver Olympic history is maddening, " Const. Jason Doucette of the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.
"These two will likely use the video for some sort of bragging rights, and when they do, we hope their friends will do the right thing and call police."
Authorities said the suspects spent about 12 minutes in the plaza at around 3:30 a.m., and briefly approached the cauldron before leaving the area. They returned approximately 30 minutes later to smash the glass, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
There are hundreds of glass panels covering the cauldron, each custom made by Studio 3 Glass in Port Coquitlam. Owner Nasar Niki confirmed his business will be replacing six shattered panels.
Speaking to CTV News on Monday, Niki said the vandalism had left him emotional.
"To be honest with you, it's breaking my heart," he said. "Sometimes I talk with my friends and say the cauldron is like my baby."
Niki said replicating the distinctive look of the glass will take some time, but that he's determined to make the repair look seamless.
Vancouver police asked anyone with information on the vandalism to contact the department or Crime Stoppers.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Shannon Paterson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.