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VicPD uses non-lethal rounds to remove woman barricaded in stranger’s basement

The woman is believed to have broken into a dealership, attempting to steal a vehicle earlier in the evening
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The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team was deployed to an incident where a woman barricaded herself in a stranger’s home for hours on Thursday night. (Black Press Media file photo)

One woman has been arrested after allegedly breaking into a dealership, attempting to steal a vehicle and barricading herself inside the basement of a stranger’s home for hours in the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood.

At approximately 8:20 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 13), officers were called to a vehicle dealership in the 500-block of Francis Avenue for a report that a woman had broken into the business. While inside, the woman is reported to have accessed and attempted to steal a vehicle, according to police. The suspect crashed the vehicle into the dealership’s garage doors and fled before officers arrived, leaving the vehicle running inside.

READ ALSO: Daytime theft attempt leaves Oak Bay Avenue store employee with potentially life-altering injuries

More than two hours later, officers were called to a residence in the 400-block of Burnside Road East. The resident told police that they returned home to find an unknown woman in their home. Officers arrive and found the woman had barricaded herself in the basement of the home.

READ ALSO: One person in custody after hours-long Cook Street standoff with barricaded robbery suspects

The Victoria Police Department confirmed the suspect was the same woman involved in the dealership incident.

The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, including crisis negotiators, were deployed but after several hours negotiations failed. At approximately 2:15 a.m., officers entered the home and deployed a noise distraction device while using non-lethal ARWEN rounds (designed for crowd control during riots) to take the woman into custody.

She was transported to hospital for assessment, medically cleared and then transported to cells where she was held for morning court.

The woman is facing recommended charges of break and enter with intent.


 

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