Butter stolen from 2 stores in Guelph

Butter worth $800 was taken from two Guelph stores on Monday afternoon, police say.

At approximately 3:30 p.m., a man entered a store near Gordon Street and Clair Road in Guelph's south end and left with two cases of butter. Police say the two cases were worth about $500.

About an hour later, a man walked into a store atKortright Road W. and Edinburgh Road S., approximately four kilometres away, and "filled two bags with butter valued at $300 and fled the store," police said.

The man had a beard and was wearing a dark T-shirt and pants. He left the area in a white Toyota Corolla.

Police say it's not clear if the two thefts are related.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers.

Not first butter theft in city

In December, police in Guelph arrested three men after $1,000 worth of butter was stolen from a store in the city's south end.

On Dec. 24, two men were seen taking a case of butter from a store. When officers arrived to investigate, they checked nearby parking lots and found a vehicle near another grocery store. The two men inside the vehicle were arrested, as well as a third man who exited the store and approached the vehicle.

"A witness reported the third male had abandoned a cart just outside the store. Officers checked the cart and found more stolenbutter," police said in a release on Dec. 28.

In total, 144 sticks of butter and 17 containers of ghee were recovered by officers. The three men from Brampton were charged with theft under $5,000.