Man charged for vandalism, theft at Fredericton library

Suspect in N.B. library vandalism arrested A suspect is facing numerous charges in connection to the vandalism at the Fredericton Public Library earlier this week.

A 31-year-old man is facing theft and break-in charges in connection to a vandalism incident at the Fredericton Public Library that caused tens of thousands of dollars of damages over the weekend.

Officers responded to the library on Carleton Street on Monday, finding extensive property damage and the theft of several items, according to a Fredericton Police Force news release. Early estimates on the cost of repairs ranged from $50,000 to $100,000.

“I did have a chance to go in and kind of tour around, and it was pretty surprising and shocking, I'd say, how bad it is,” Ben Wolthers, president of the Fredericton Public Library Board, told CTV News earlier this week. “I won't get into any specifics but, it's really just kind of senseless and really sort of heartbreaking.”

Police say they identified Kelly Gordon Kleim, 31, as the suspect after reviewing video footage from community and public safety cameras. Kleim presented himself to police on Thursday and was arrested.

Kleim was charged with:

Kleim was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Wolthers told CTV News there is no timeline for the reopening of the library. Scott Brown, manager of Building Services in Fredericton, noted the facility will not be operational again until the computer systems are back online.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Avery MacRae

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.