A Surrey man has been convicted in North Vancouver of two counts of theft for stealing car batteries.

As a result, the provincial government seized William Burgess’ truck for forfeiture.

Burgess was convicted on April 25.

According to Sergeant Peter DeVries, of the North Vancouver RCMP, throughout last August his city was “plagued” by 47 vehicle battery thefts and in the course of their investigation police learned that cars and trucks in Surrey, Richmond and Vancouver “were being drained of their batteries too.

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“After sharing information that included photos and video footage from business surveillance cameras, officers were able to identify Mr. Burgess, previously known to North Vancouver for similar thefts,” Devries said. “While under police surveillance he was caught in the act, and a search warrant later executed at his home turned up batteries and other property.”

Devries said a worker was sleeping in a company truck during one of the thefts. “He woke up when he heard banging noises, and when he went out to see what it was, the suspect took off with a number of batteries in the back of his truck.”

The BC Civil Forfeiture Office seized Burgess’s 2005 GMC Canyon truck, which he used while committing the thefts, and it will be sold at auction.



tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com

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