A 32-year-old man has been arrested in relation to a break-in at a home on Laurier Avenue.
Police say that on Monday evening, the two residents returned home to find someone in their living room. 911 was called, and nearby officers arrived within minutes to arrest the man on the front porch of the home.
When officers searched the man, they found a small amount of what is suspected to be crystal meth.
The man was charged with one count of break and enter and one count of drug possession. He will appear in North Bay court on December 22.
This is the second incident in recent weeks of a break and enters that was thwarted in-progress.
On October 12, police responded to a call on King Street where the homeowner wrestled the suspect to the ground until officers arrived.
Constable John Schultz, the Community Safety Coordinator says the recent break-and-enters into homes come during a time where the police service is also seeing an uptick in calls for vehicle theft.
“It’s people leaving their doors unlocked,” he said. “Some people will argue that in a free society, we shouldn’t have to. That may be the case, but if you want to lose your goods, leave your doors unlocked.”
The North Bay Police Service has outlined the following tips for crime prevention:
- Call 9-1-1 if you witness a crime in progress or a possible crime in progress (e.g., break and enter) or a dangerous situation.
- Anonymously contact Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or by texting “Tip 201” with your message to 274637 (crimes)
- Increase street visibility around your house so that neighbours and others can see if someone is in your yard or trying your door locks.
- If your home is on a corner lot, your risk of burglary increases, so be sure to take additional security precautions.
- Thieves prefer residents not to be home, so leave lights on, get your mail collected, and take other steps to make it look like someone is home.
- Thieves like easy pickings, so target harden your home with outside lighting, good locks, alarms, and other home protection devices.
