Translate
A 53-year-old man will face court today after allegedly stealing a bag with keys to several vehicles from an O’Connor business and climbing into a ceiling cavity to evade police.
About 7pm yesterday (Thursday, 26 September 2024), a business owner discovered a bag containing several car keys he had placed in the premises earlier that day had gone missing.
Using a GPS tracking device, the owner located the bag and with two other men, attended an address in the CBD where the bag was believed to be.
The men confronted the 53-year-old man who was at the address and he fled the scene. The owner then reported the matter to police.
Officers located the man at the Jolimont Centre on Northbourne Avenue and after observing broken glass and dislodged ceiling tiles in a nearby business, believed the man was hiding in the ceiling cavity.
With assistance from an AFP canine team, police directed the man to surrender.
The man ignored police directions and instead broke through the ceiling of a hotel lobby in the building before fleeing the scene.
After a short foot pursuit, police apprehended the man nearby. A search of his personal belongings uncovered the stolen bag containing the car keys.
He has been charged with two counts of burglary and property damage and will face the ACT Magistrates Court today.