Break‑in suspect arrested after police recognize clothing from suspicious surveillance video

Police are reviewing surveillance footage in this file image. (Shutterstock/FILE)

A string of suspected break-ins came to a halt Friday in Barrie after police spotted a man on the street wearing the same clothes seen in a suspicious convenience store surveillance video.

The 28-year-old Barrie man was arrested right there on the street.

Officers say the probe began Wednesday, when a homeowner on Eugenia Street received a notification from their bank around 4 a.m., alerting them to unusual activity on a credit card.

The police report indicated that the resident realized someone had broken into their garage and allegedly stole a wallet inside one of their vehicles.

The card was used roughly 30 minutes later at a convenience store on St. Vincent Street, and a bunch of transactions were declined after the bank flagged potential fraud.

Officers say they reviewed the store’s surveillance video and were made aware of a man inside at the time of the fraudulent payment.

On Friday, officers responding to a separate incident in the same area spotted someone matching the suspect’s description and arrested him.

The man now faces multiple charges, including break and enter, theft under $5,000, fraud under $5,000, unauthorized use of a credit card and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

Investigators suspect he may be connected to additional Barrie thefts in the areas of Grove Street, Duckworth Street, St. Vincent Street and Blake Street.

Police are asking residents to review home security or dashcam footage from March 25 to 27 and report any suspicious activity.