Man charged for many retail thefts

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This article was published 30/04/2025 (332 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A “prolific offender” is facing more than 25 charges after a series of retail thefts around the city that began last month, police said Wednesday.

In many of the thefts, employees’ wallets and other personal property were stolen from staff rooms, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Monday. Other incidents involved a man distracting staff members and stealing lottery tickets, bus passes and bus tickets.

A 46-year-old Winnipeg man was arrested on the 2300 block of McPhillips Street after a short foot pursuit that day. He is charged with 17 new counts of theft under $5,000 and was wanted on a warrant for five other counts. He is also charged with failing to comply with a probation order and was wanted on a warrant for two other counts. He is also charged with breaking-and-entering.

The release included a list of 19 thefts.

• On March 19, a man posing as a customer at a cellphone store on the 1400 block of Portage Avenue stole two phones valued at about $3,200.
• On March 26, a laptop worth about $700 and $374 in cash was stolen from a staff room at a store on the 1200 block of St. Mary’s Road.
• On March 28, an employee’s property was stolen from a staff room at a store on the 1500 block of Portage, and an employee’s wallet was stolen from a staff room at a store on the 1200 block of St. James Street.
• On March 31, an employee’s bag — containing a wallet, credit cards, cash and keys — was stolen from a staff room at a store on the 1000 block of Ellice Avenue.
• On April 2, 12 pairs of sunglasses valued at about $2,900 were stolen from a store on the 1500 block of Regent Avenue.
• On April 5, a man posing as a customer stole two lottery packages worth about $200 from a grocery store on the 400 block of North Town Road. Employees’ wallets were stolen from staff rooms in stores on the 1200 block of St. James and the same block of St. Mary’s. The latter wallet contained identification, credit cards and $200 cash. That same day, property and lottery tickets worth about $500 were stolen from a store on the 900 block of Henderson Highway in two incidents.
• On April 6, a man posing as a customer stole a chain valued at about $2,600 from a jewelry store on the 1500 block of Regent Avenue West.
• On April 7, an employee’s wallet — containing cash and personal items valued at about $2,200 — was stolen from a back office at a clinic on the first 100 block of Waterford Green Common.
• On April 8, an employee’s charger and wallet, which contained identification and credit cards, were stolen from a staff room at a grocery store on the 1600 block of Kenaston Boulevard.
• On April 9, an employee’s wallet was stolen from a staff room at a store on the 1000 block of McPhillips. Also that day, an employee’s phone — valued at about $1,200 — was stolen from the front desk at a store on the 1400 block of Portage.
• On April 12, an iPad valued at about $600 and $100 in cash from a register were stolen from an office at a spa on the 1900 block of Henderson.
• On April 17, an employee’s wallet and Airpods were stolen from a staff room at a store on the 3300 block of Portage.
• On April 20, lottery tickets worth $1,350 were stolen from  behind the counter of a store on the first 100 block of Marion Street.
• On April 24, a man broke into a cabinet at a cellphone kiosk at St. Vital Centre and stole a box containing 22 phones worth about $7,000.

The WPS property crime unit asked anyone with information that would help or expand its investigation to contact officers at 204-986-2426, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or online.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca