Pair charged in series of break-ins

‘Chronic offenders’ face 70 charges involving about 20 businesses

When Port Coquitlam’s Gillnetter Pub was broken into in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an inconvenience more than an economic hit.

Employee Leisa Popove said Wednesday that not much was taken during the March 23 break and enter.

But she was still happy to learn that two chronic offenders had been arrested and charged with hitting dozens of businesses, including the riverfront pub.

“It’s taking advantage of the COVID situation. And so we’re happy about the arrest,” Popove said. “Apparently he had been … very prolific in Vancouver, we had heard.”

Vancouver police announced Wednesday that Burnaby residents Shane Duhamel, 44, and Jesse Palanio, 33, are facing 70 charges after an alleged breakin spree that lasted months and criss-crossed the Lower Mainland. Some, but not all, of the charges are joint.

“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,” VPD Sgt. Aaron Roed said.

“However, police efforts to target property-crime offenders will continue.”

Roed said that Duhamel and Palanio are alleged to have been behind break-ins at about 20 commercial addresses in Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam and Richmond. While the offences that led to charges date back to November, “the majority of them happened since the pandemic started on March 12.”

Duhamel, who was arrested April 3, is facing 14 counts of break-andenter, 23 counts of breaching court orders, two of possessing break-in tools and one of disguising himself.

Palanio, who police picked up March 29, is charged with seven counts of break-and-enter, 13 of failing to comply with court orders, one of possession of a prohibited weapon, seven counts of possession of credit-card data, identification documents and stolen property, and two of theft under $5,000.

Roed said that commercial break-ins in Vancouver were up almost 100 per cent at the end of April. The situation has improved in recent weeks with businesses taking additional security measures “to move property out of view of criminals, use shutters to reduce visibility, upgrade locks and increase lighting.”

And police have increased patrols and arrested a number of suspects in addition to Duhamel and Palanio.

“Together we can stop businesses from being targeted during these unprecedented times,” Roed said.

Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association president Charles Gauthier said he was “pleased” to learn of the arrests.

“We’ve had a pretty good response from the Vancouver Police Department when we did see a spike in commercial break and enters in the latter part of March,” he said.

He said his association brought in overnight security patrols when the break-ins escalated, “but it still happened.”

Both Duhamel and Palanio were out on bail on other charges at the time of their most recent arrests.

Roed said investigators are making the case that both men be held in custody pending trial.

And he said the VPD continues to pursue other suspects.

“We’re not stopping. We do know that there are other suspects out there,” he said.

The arrest of these two suspects ... will have a major impact on commercial break-ins around the city.