2 people charged with 26 offences after series of thefts in Port Hawkesbury: N.S. RCMP

An RCMP officer drives a police vehicle in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Inverness County District RCMP say they charged two people after a series of thefts, including the theft of a vehicle, in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.

Officers responded to a report of a stolen truck from an address on Highway 4 on Tuesday, according to a news release from RCMP.

Investigators say there had also been a number of thefts from unlocked vehicles in the general area.

Several hours after the truck was reported stolen, the owner found it abandoned.

Multiple items associated with the reported thefts from vehicles in the area were found inside the truck as well, police say.

The RCMP says they arrested two people for the string of thefts on Wednesday.

Victor McNamara, 28, of Beaver Bank has been charged with 16 offences.

Melanie Mahar, 30, of Lower Sackville has been charged with 10 offences.

Both McNamara and Mahar had first court appearances on Wednesday.

McNamara was remanded in custody pending future court appearances and Mahar was released by the court on conditions pending her next court appearance.

“We received reports of at least eight thefts from vehicles, but it’s possible that there were more,” says Sgt. Lance Wood, Inverness County District RCMP in the release. “Even if a theft has a low dollar value, knowing where and when these incidents are taking place helps police to understand crime-related trends in our community. It allows us to target our proactive patrols to help prevent future offences, and it makes it easier for us to return recovered items to their proper owners.”

Anyone with information about these thefts, including footage from dashcams or doorbell cameras, is asked to call Inverness County District RCMP at 902-625-2220 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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