30-Year-Old Man Charged With Thefts, Rivière-Verte, N.B.

A 30-year-old Ontario man is facing multiple charges following a string of crimes in northwestern New Brunswick.

On May 5, 2017, around 2:15 a.m., a homeowner in Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska reported the theft of a guitar and a mandolin. Around 4:00 a.m., police received another nine complaints of break and enters in the areas of Rivière-Verte and Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska. Through those complaints, police were able to identify an SUV that had been stolen in Val-d'Or, Q.C.

Around 2:40 p.m., a business in Edmundston reported to police that a man had tried to sell a guitar matching the description of the one stolen in Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska. Shortly afterwards, RCMP members intercepted a vehicle returning to Rivière-Verte matching the description of stolen SUV. When officers pursued the vehicle, the driver fled on foot. With the assistance of Edmundston City Police, the suspect was arrested around 6:15 p.m.

Vincent Belair of Timmins, Ontario, appeared in Edmundston Provincial Court on May 11. He has been charged with:

• 3 counts of possession of stolen goods under $5000
• Possession of stolen goods over $5000
• 2 counts for resisting and obstructing a police officer
• 4 counts of failing to comply with a court order
• Breach of probation

He has been remanded in custody pending a bail hearing on May 16.