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A recent alarming home invasion has shaken yet another homeowner on Vancouver Island, following a similar incident in the Parksville area just a month prior.
The disturbing event occurred on March 31 while the residents were fast asleep. Nigel Gray, a Parksville resident, recounted the harrowing experience during a meeting with the Regional District of Nanaimo.
According to Gray, an intruder scaled his six-foot side yard fence and entered the home through the back door. The invasion was discovered by his wife, who was unclothed at the time, while Gray was recovering from surgery.
“He took his shoes off — I can’t stop thinking about what he intended to do, and what would have happened if there was no dog,” Gray shared, expressing his intense concern over the ordeal. He added that he defended his home with a bat until law enforcement arrived while the intruder made verbal threats to his life.
Community Safety Concerns
Gray voiced his fears further by highlighting the situation’s gravity, noting that his neighbors didn’t wake up during the frightening series of events, despite his wife’s cries for help. “That’s the nature of living in a rural community: no one will hear you scream, no one will come to save you,” he said.
The meeting was part of a broader discussion among community members regarding the proposal for a new corrections rehabilitation facility in the region, which many residents feel may compound safety issues.
The March 31 incident occurred just a week after another alarming home invasion, highlighting an unsettling trend in the area. On March 25, locals reported a dramatic incident where a suspect smashed a car into a garage and broke into a home, becoming violent in the process. The invading individual allegedly used a chain to threaten the homeowner’s life.
While initial investigations by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) suggested a potential link between the two incidents, authorities later confirmed they were indeed separate events. One suspect, identified as Robin Wakeling, 32, has been charged with seven offenses related to the home invasion on March 25 and has since been released on $500 bail with 17 stipulated conditions.
In the second home invasion, police apprehended a “disoriented and intoxicated youth,” believed to have committed the act randomly. Authorities indicated that this youth was released into parental custody, though it remains unclear if charges will be pursued.
These incidents have raised significant concerns within the community about safety and security, prompting residents to advocate for improved measures to protect their homes and families.
Source
globalnews.ca