A London man is facing more than a dozen charges in connection with a string of summertime watercraft and trailer thefts in Grey County.
In the first incident, a silver SUV and white pickup truck drove onto the back lot of a commercial property near Highway 6/21 in Georgian Bluffs using an adjacent lot on July 20. The SUV attached to a trailer with a green 2022 Seadoo GTI personal watercraft, while the pickup truck connected to another trailer with a Zodiac centre console inflatable boat. Both vehicles then left through the same adjacent lot.
Four days later, a white Buick Enclave and a blue Ford F250 were allegedly used in the theft of a 20-foot Smoker Craft Phantom boat equipped with a 175hp Suzuki outboard motor from a property near Grey Road 12 in Meaford. The boat was stored on a steel tandem trailer at the time of the theft.
According Grey Bruce OPP, the theft of a trailer filled with food and catering equipment from a property on Highway 10 in Grey Highlands was linked to the previous two incidents The trailer was taken sometime between the evening of July 31 and the morning of August 1.
The investigation led officers with the Grey Bruce and Middlesex community street crime unit to search a home on Sevilla Park Place in London last Wednesday.
A 44-year-old London man was arrested. He is charged with 14 offences including breaking and entering, theft over $5,000, and four counts each of theft of a vehicle, theft of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and theft of property obtained by crime under $5,000. The man is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing in Owen Sound on Monday, police said.
Anyone who has experienced similar thefts or who has information about this investigation is asked to call police at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
