Break-in suspect facing 16 charges in New Westminster, B.C.

A photo shows the back of a New Westminster police officer's jacket. (Twitter, New Westminster Police Department)

Police in New Westminster, B.C., say a suspect is facing more than a dozen charges after multiple break-ins were reported across the city in recent weeks.

The New Westminster Police Department opened an investigation last month into a break-and-enter complaint on Richmond Street.

The investigation was passed along to the department’s street crime unit after evidence indicated a single suspect may have been involved in multiple break-in cases, the department said in a news release Thursday.

The suspect was arrested and a search warrant was executed at a residential property in Burnaby.

The B.C. Prosecution Service has approved 16 charges against 38-year-old Lindsay Ellis in relation to the investigation, police said.

The charges include four counts of breaking and entering to commit an indictable offence, two counts of theft, two counts of mail theft, one count of possession of break-in instruments, and multiple counts of possession of stolen property, including credit cards and identity documents.

Sgt. Andrew Leaver urged residents to “be vigilant about securing their homes and garages” following the crime spree. “The NWPD will continue to monitor priority offenders as we remain focused on reducing crime in our community,” he said in a statement.

Ellis remains in police custody pending a scheduled court appearance on Feb. 24.