A set of watercolour paintings reported stolen from the Monterey Recreation Centre last month has been located, thanks to a sharp-eyed community member.
Oak Bay Police said the artwork was recovered in the 2500-block of Cadboro Bay Road after someone recognized the portfolios and called it in.
Police confirmed the pieces were the same paintings taken on October 19th and returned them to the artist, who police say was “grateful” to have them back.
The theft happened in the rec centre’s parking lot when the artist briefly left two large black portfolios on top of their vehicle while unloading supplies.
Within minutes, the portfolios containing 30 to 40 unframed watercolour paintings disappeared. Each piece was valued at roughly $500. The incident was reported to police a few days later.
While the investigation into the original theft remains open, police say the recovery is a welcome end to a frustrating situation.
The discovery comes as Oak Bay Police responded to a busy week of calls, including impaired driving and two residential break-ins.
Officers issued a 24-hour driving prohibition on November 7th after stopping a vehicle seen swerving on Cadboro Bay Road.
Although the driver provided a breath sample of zero, police say they performed poorly on a sobriety test, resulting in the prohibition and a vehicle impoundment.
Police also continue to investigate two separate break-and-enters reported last week. One occurred on Hampshire Road on November 6th while the residents were out for dinner.
The second happened on Valdez Place sometime between November 4th and 7th. In both cases, jewellery and other valuables were taken, and police conducted neighbourhood canvasses and collected evidence.
In total, Oak Bay Police responded to 73 calls for service this week.
Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to contact Oak Bay Police.
