Woman arrested after lengthy standoff at Gorge Road home

The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team arrested a woman early Friday after a pair of break-ins and a lengthy standoff — just hours after another standoff ended on Cook Street.

Victoria police said they were called about 8:20 p.m. Thursday to a Frances Avenue vehicle dealership, in the BurnsideGorge area, for a report that a woman had broken in. She reportedly tried to steal a vehicle from inside and drove it into the dealership’s garage doors.

She then fled, leaving the vehicle running, the report said.

Police began a search, only to be called about 10:40 p.m. to a home in the 500 block of Burnside

Road East, where the residents said they had returned to find an unknown woman inside.

By the time officers had arrived, the woman had barricaded herself in the basement.

Officers were able to confirm that she was the suspect in the break-and-enter at the dealership.

After several hours of negotiation, officers from the Emergency Response Team entered the house about 2:15 a.m., using a noise-distraction device and other means to take the woman into custody.

She was taken to hospital for assessment and medically cleared. Charges of break-andenter with intent are being recommended.

The earlier standoff, which started with a call about a robbery at a Cook Street housing complex, ended about 6 p.m. when police took one man into custody. At least one other person is still at large, police said.

Cook between Bay Street and Queens Avenue was closed during the operation, which lasted more than 10 hours.