THUNDER BAY — A Thunder Bay woman is feeling frustrated over the process of recovering property that was stolen from her home while she was away on vacation.
Suzanne Tardif discovered the break-in and theft when she returned from her holiday at the end of October.
She doesn't yet have a complete list, but estimates that at least 30 to 35 items were stolen including power tools with a combined worth of more than $5,000.
Tardif said Thunder Bay Police have used security camera images to help identify two male suspects, but they haven't been arrested yet.
After finding that her property had been exchanged for cash at three local pawn shops, she was able to recover some of the items, including a toolbox for which she was able to produce the key.
But she was told she needed to provide serial numbers to have the rest of her property returned, or buy them back from the pawn shop.
"I'm the victim that got broken into and had items stolen...Because they won't release my items, I'm re-victimized again," Tardif said in an interview Tuesday.
Tardif said her insurance company has been helpful and she believes she will be reimbursed for the things she can't recover, but she's frustrated with the roadblock she hit with the pawn shops.
"There is an epidemic of break-ins for the drug use in the city. I feel they should find a better way that doesn't re-victimize us...My next step is to wait. This process can take up to a year. I 've been told I have to inquire with Thunder Bay Police what the process is," she said.
A spokesperson for Big Ed's pawn shop on South Algoma Street said giving items to people who claim ownership without proof would leave the business uncompensated.
He said the store handled this situation the same way it has handled other similar incidents.
Thunder Bay Police advise residents to keep a written record of serial numbers or take photos of valuable items in order to expedite their recovery.
A spokesperson confirms that police have seen an increase in residential break-ins in the city this year.
To date, they have been contacted about 954 incidents, compared with 810 in the same period last year.
The spokesperson noted that besides taking items to pawn shops, thieves are also known to post them for sale on Kijiji.
