Staff at seniors’ home nab would-be thief

Seniors at a seniors' residence in this undated file image.

Lunch is usually a quiet time for staff at a retirement residence.

Friday's lunchtime at the retirement residence, typically a serene affair, took an unexpected turn when an uninvited guest was discovered pilfering the residents' jewelry while they ate in the dining room.

Barrie police were summoned around 1 p.m. to find the residence's staff had successfully 'contained' the intruder, who was claiming to be a visiting nurse from another agency.

Staff didn't buy it, and once police arrived, a 25-year-old Brampton man was charged with breaking and entering, possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000 and failing to comply with an undertaking.

While police were busy arresting the fake nurse, a black vehicle parked at the front of the building fled. The identity of the driver and licence plate of the suspected get-away car remains unknown.

The Brampton man was held in custody for a bail hearing and released to appear by video at the Ontario Court of Justice in Barrie on August 19.

Barrie police say they are relieved no one was injured due to this incident.

They are working with the staff to reunite residents with their jewellery.