Prolific break-and-enter pair arrested, 30 charges laid

UPDATED, May 20, 2020: This story has been updated to reflect the fact Vancouver police initially reported the men had been charged with 70 countsbut later issued a statement saying only 30 charges were approved by Crown prosecutors.

Two chronic offenders are charged with30 offencesrelated to a spate of commercial break-ins that took place in Vancouver and surrounding communities dating back to November 2019.

Vancouver police say Burnaby men Shane Duhamel, 44, and Jesse Palanio, 33, were both arrested over a month agoand remain in custody.

"We believe that the arrest of these two suspects and the subsequent charge approval will have a major impact on commercial break-ins around the city," said Sgt. Aaron Roed.

Duhamelis charged with 13counts of break-and-enter and one countofpossession of break-in instruments.

The 16 charges against Palanio includesixcounts of break-and-enter,two counts of identity theft and one count of possession of a prohibited weapon.

The charges relate to commercial break-and-enters in Vancouver, PortCoquitlam, Burnaby, Abbotsford and Richmond.

Roed said many of the alleged crimes the two men committed targeted businesses that had closed down in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Vancouver police say commercial break-and-enters have been spiking since the pandemic was declared on March 12. Roed said in April alone, the VPD responded to 360 commercial break-and-enters.

Police are asking businesses to take extra precautions during the pandemic by moving property out of view, usingshutters andby upgradinglocks and lighting.