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Downtown Mission business owners chase, nab thief

Sean Barry, owner of the Candy Shack. and Keegan Moses, owner of Mr. Fix Computers caught and held a suspect until police arrived.
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Sean Barry

Two downtown business owners joined forces this week to chase, catch and subdue a suspected thief.

On Tuesday afternoon, Keegan Moses, owner of Mr. Fix Computers, noticed a customer acting strangely in his store. According to Moses, the man said he was looking for a case for his girlfriend’s iPhone 5.

“I noticed that he took a case from the shelf and carried it against the side of his leg. I thought he might be trying to steal it,” Moses said.

He approached the customer and asked if he needed help. The customer said he was just looking. A few seconds later, the suspect bolted with the case.

“He walked out of the store and then ran.”

Sitting outside was Sean Barry, owner of the Candy Shack. He heard Moses shout about the robbery, and both men decided to chase the suspect.

After a few blocks, Moses stopped running and went back to his store to lock it up.

However, Barry continued the pursuit.

After seeing the suspect go up an alley by MTF, Barry decided to go a different route to try to cut him off.

He went along First Avenue in an attempt to get in front of him by the post office.

When he got there, he saw the suspect was already on Second Avenue. Knowing he couldn’t catch up, Barry asked a nearby driver if he could give him a lift. The driver agreed.

“I got in front of the (suspect). He didn’t see me in the car.”

There was a row of two buses that the culprit began to walk behind. Barry got out of the car and waited for the suspect to clear the buses. That’s when he pounced.

“As soon as he came out from behind the bus, I grabbed him. There was a struggle –  he is a big kid – but I got him onto the ground and held him down until the police came,” Barry said.

Another helpful citizen, Gregory Ould, had also been chasing the suspect and helped Barry keep him detained until the Mission RCMP arrived.

“While I was holding him down, the cops cuffed him,” Barry said.

Mission RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob Dixon said the suspect will be facing charges, although they have not yet been laid. He was also arrested for an outstanding warrant on an unrelated matter

Dixon said the suspect is new to Mission, having recently relocated here from the Courtenay/Comox area of Vancouver Island.

Moses praised Barry for his efforts.

However, Barry doesn’t want any accolades.

“To me, this is what all of our businesses should do. We watch out for each other.”

 



Kevin Mills

About the Author: Kevin Mills

I have been a member of the media for the past 34 years and became editor of the Mission Record in February of 2015.
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