A Strathroy man was arrested twice by Barrie police in a six-hour period following a break-in at a local mall Thursday evening and then again early this morning for impaired driving.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, city police say officers responded to a reported break-and-enter at the rear of former Sears store at Georgian Mall on Bayfield Street.
When officers arrived, they saw a vehicle doing “burnouts” in the parking lot.
"The driver told police that he was practising being a rally-car driver," according to a news release from Barrie police.
Further investigation revealed the 32-year-old Strathroy man was the person allegedly responsible for the break-in that officers had initially responded to. Police say he was in possession of property that had removed from the store.
A supervisor from the company that is doing renovations on the store was contacted. They attended the scene and the stolen property was returned. The store was then secured, according to police.
The male suspect was arrested and charged with break and enter, as well as having care/control of a motor vehicle with an open container of alcohol and having care/control of a vehicle or boat with cannabis readily available. He was released from custody at the scene and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on Sept. 4.
Then, shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 9, Barrie police say they received a call from a concerned motorist who had spotted a vehicle being operated on Bayfield Street, near Cundles Road East, travelling on the wrong side of the road.
The vehicle was then observed driving up and over the curb and across the sidewalk and into the parking lot of the Kozlov Mall, police say.
When officers arrived, the suspect vehicle was located just south of the main Bayfield Street entrance to the plaza. The male driver "exhibited signs of impairment" and failed a screening device test. He was was arrested and transported to Barrie Police Headquarters where a breathalyzer operator confirmed the driver was impaired by alcohol, according to police.
The accused, who was the same man from the earlier incident at Georgian Mall, was additionally charged with operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, operation of a motor vehicle while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus), and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in Barrie court on Aug. 26, 2024.
The man's driver’s licence has been suspended for 90 days and his vehicle has been impounded for seven days.
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