Justin Brand's video captured a confrontation with a suspected thief on Tuesday, July 16, 2019.
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July 17, 2019 - 6:00 PM
KELOWNA - Justin Brand is fed up with businesses being targeted with constant late-night break-ins so when he spotted a man he says was caught on surveillance footage stealing from a Kelowna car wash, he pulled out his phone and started recording.
Brand is a former manager with Sutherland Super Wash and he still keeps in touch with the owners.
He says the store suffered an early morning break-in on July 16 between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Surveillance footage showed roughly six thieves smash the kiosk window and pilfer the store.
Brand estimates the car wash could have suffered $10,000 worth of damage.
Later that day, he was getting sandwiches with a friend when they spotted a man who he believes had been caught on the car wash's video surveillance.
They confronted the man and Brand started recording.
LANGUAGE WARNING
A heated exchange ensued when Brand and his friend found bolt cutters in the man's bag while the man denied being involved with the break-in. The man took off as Brand and his friend called the police.
Brand followed the man through Orchard Park Mall but lost track of him when he cut across traffic on Highway 97.
He says he saw police cars swarm around the man, but he's unsure if he was arrested.
Reflecting on the situation, Brand is uncertain if confronting and recording a possible suspect was the best way to handle the situation.
He doesn't think every citizen should confront potential criminals, but he hopes his video serves as a warning to law-breakers that people in Kelowna are getting fed up.
"The real point of what I did is that (criminals) worry about random guys with cameras, not just the police," he said.
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