A break and enter suspect turned himself into police just hours after Williams Lake RCMP released a photograph to local media of the male breaking into the BC Liquor Store.
Staff Sgt. Del Byron said the suspect was at the detachment by 12:20 p.m. Monday afternoon, just three hours after the photograph was circulated on social media sites such as the radio, The Williams Lake Tribune's website and the Tribune's Facebook page which received thousands of views and hundreds of Facebook shares in a short period of time by readers.
"This case illustrates the effectiveness of a collaboration between the police and local media which utilized a video to engage the public in assisting us," Byron said, noting he was thankful for the public's help.
The RCMP will be recommending a charge of break and enter against the male suspect, who was released on an undertaking to appear in court.
Names of suspects are not made public until after they are formally charged.
A quantity of alcohol was stolen from the store during the Sunday night break in.
About seven hours later, at 4:50 a.m., the business Lush Beauty Boutique was also broken into and money was taken out of the business's cash register.
Store owner Lee Ann Parnell said a local glass company was able to come by 8 a.m. and put plywood over the large opening to stop the whole store from freezing in the frigid -25 C overnight temperatures.
"Thank goodness we were able to block it off," said Parnell.
Parnell said the crime has left her and her staff feeling angry and that their privacy was invaded.
"It's maddening and frustrating. I just don't understand why someone would do this," she said, noting the business is back up and operating as normal but will have to absorb the cost of the broken window.
Byron said officers will be reviewing video surveillance in that crime as well.