Traceable jewellery stolen in Bayshore smash-and-grab could be online
Posted Apr 7, 2026 01:51:39 PM.
Last Updated Apr 7, 2026 03:36:09 PM.
Some of the valuable jewellery taken in a smash-and-grab late March could be traceable and end up online, Ottawa police warn.
Officers are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect wanted in connection with the theft. The incident happened at 9:40 a.m. on March 23 in Bayshore Shopping Centre, a west end mall. Police say the suspect went into a jewellery store, smashed a cabinet and took the items.
Officials believe that the products might show up for sale online.
The suspect is described as a Black male, between the ages of 18 and 25, weighing about 130 to 150 pounds. At the time, he was wearing a green hooded jacket with “Five Boroughs” written in white print on the front, sunglasses with brightly coloured frames, black pants and a backpack.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators.
Thefts on the rise in Ottawa
Police say they are seeing a sharp increase in thefts in 2026.
According to data shared by the force, all types of theft — $5,000 under and over and of a motor vehicle — rose by 28 per cent year-over-year. Officials noted that 2,700 reports have been filed as of Feb. 12, a large jump seen compared to the same period last year.
“Reports involve retail merchandise, construction tools and copper, online marketplace transactions, and distraction-style incidents,” it details.
To date, police have charged 334 people in theft-related cases, with another 102 given warnings, diversions or other consequences.
