COMOX, B.C. – The thief knew what exactly what he was targeting when they broke into the VisionWorks Optometry location in downtown Comox early Wednesday morning.
At about 6:40 a.m. on Oct. 31, a burglar drilled out the front door lock and entered the store.
The suspect stole several racks of glasses in addition to 44 pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses. The total value of the theft is approximately $14,000. Brands stolen include Maui Jim, Hugo Boss, Ray Ban, Serengeti, Gucci, Leader, Smith, and Guess.
Dr. David Dowe, an optometrist who owns the location on Guthrie Road, said an optometry store is a target for thieves because “they tend to go straight to the sunglasses that are ‘hawkable.'”
There is camera footage of the crime and the RCMP is investigating.
https://www.facebook.com/VisionWorksBC/videos/272850466767766/
Moving forward, the store is bringing in new product and is repairing the mess left behind.
“Hopefully insurance will be there for that,” Dowe said.
But the break-in has left the staff unnerved.
“We feel violated,” Dowe shared.
Dowe noted that the store is looking at beefing up security even more however, “other than a guard dog, we’ve done pretty well done all we can.”
Despite the damage, the store remains open.
“We are open right now, so it’s all cleaned up but there’s obviously a scar on the place which we’re working to heal up in product loss,” Dowe said.
“Once we get repairs going, we need to get back to business as usual as fast as we can, so we’re working on that,” he added.
“We are looking for witnesses who were in the area during the early morning hours and who may have observed a person or a vehicle around VisionWorks,” said Comox Valley RCMP media relations officer Cst. Monika Terragni.
“Additionally, if anyone was driving through the area around that time and has a dashcam, please check your footage for images of the suspect or associated truck.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321.
If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca. When reporting through Crime Stoppers, you never have to identify yourself or testify in court, and you could receive a cash reward for your information.
