BURST
Vancouver police say “sticky” bandits are being sought in a string of apartment break-and-enters across the region.
Between Aug. 9 and Dec. 24 last year, police say 10 apartment units spread across four buildings in Vancouver and one in Burnaby were struck by suspects who used hot glue to determine which apartments were empty and ripe for thievery.
In each case, police said the suspects entered the residential buildings in the middle of the night, and would apply a dab of hot glue to the corner of the door frame and stretch the string of glue toward the door, before applying a second bead of hot glue to the door.
“When building residents return home and open the door, the strand of glue is broken,” said Sgt. Stan Dy of the VPD’s property crime division in a news release shared Tuesday. “If the residents are away, the strand of glue stays intact, indicating that no one was home. The suspects then returned within a few days and broke into suites that had intact glue.”
Const. Darren Wong said police “aren’t certain if the glue came from a glue gun,” only that the material was a “clear gluey substance affixed to the door frame.”
Police say the suspects targeted older buildings without sophisticated security systems and little surveillance. Access was often gained through unsecured stairwell doors. Similar incidents involving glue on doors and door frames to monitor apartments have also been reported in Edmonton and Ontario.
Anyone with information should contact the Vancouver police at 604-717-0610.