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$15K in designer sunglasses stolen from Okanagan business

Forty-four pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses were stolen from a store in Vernon’s Village Green Shopping Centre
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Sunglasses worth an estimated $15,000 were stolen from a Vernon business in the Village Green Shopping Centre on Thursday evening.

Clara Mainville, manager of Iris Optometrists and Opticians, posted on Facebook Friday morning that the theft took place at 7:30 p.m. March 25.

The store is located in the Vernon shopping mall with no storefront facing the exterior. The mall closes at 7 p.m. Thursdays. It is unclear how the thief got access into the store after-hours, though malls tend to keep the exit doors open past closing time to allow patrons to complete their shopping.

A display case near the store entrance had been broken into and cleaned out.

Stolen were 44 pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses, which retail anywhere from $200 to $900. The culprit was wearing a face mask and couldn’t be identified on security video footage.

Mainville said the footage also captured bystanders nearby while the robbery was taking place.

“And I may add, while he was tearing apart my display case, shoppers were walking by as if nothing was unusual.”

Mainville urged residents to watch online buy-and-sell groups for the products.

Vernon North Okanagan RCMP are investigating and anyone with information is urged to contact the detachment at 250-545-7171.

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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