A North Vancouver man who would hide in stores so he could loot them after workers went home has been convicted on several charges.

According to the RCMP, Shane Davidson managed to go undetected by somehow making his way into the ceilings and waiting – sometimes for hours on end.

In one incident, he emerged at 5 a.m. and walked into a back room, only to be discovered by an employee.

"There he was, standing in the dark. Imagine how terrifying that was for her," Sgt. Peter DeVries said in a statement.

After the woman started screaming, Davidson assaulted her and ran off, according to the RCMP.

Authorities were eventually able to identify and catch him with help from surveillance video. Davidson has since been convicted on five counts, including assault, theft under $5,000 and multiple burglary charges.

Given the unusual circumstances of the crimes, police said they recommended charges of "breaking out," which come from a lesser used section of the Criminal Code.

Davidson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29.