The people responsible for a residential break-and-enter Thursday in Barrie caused serious flood damage to the home and the suspects are still at large.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. on April 18, Barrie police responded to a break-in which had taken place at a residence under renovation on Tiffin Street.
After the investigation, police determined those responsible entered the home through a rear window sometime between Tuesday at 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Once those responsible gained entry to the home, they made their way to an upstairs bathroom, forcibly removed a shower head and turned on the water, which caused close to approximately 12 inches of water to accumulate in the basement of the home.
An "overwhelming" smell of natural gas was also noticed throughout the home, police stated in a news release, which dissipated after the gas supply was turned off.
“The house had some openness to it because of the renovations,” Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday on Friday. “If it had been during the winter, and with (the gas) trapped inside, it could have been a very different outcome.”
Damage to the home due to the flooding has been deemed "extensive."
There are no known suspects at this time, police say.
“There was a canvass of the area with no surveillance video located,” said Leon.
Police are reminding members of the public that, if they ever see a person who does not belong at or near a home or business, to take note of their physical characteristics, clothing and any other noticeable details which may help to identify them and immediately call police.
“Remember, your observations may prevent a potential criminal occurrence from happening, or by sharing what you have seen, you could be providing police with the information they are seeking in an ongoing investigation,” police stated in the news release.
