Two men charged after break-in at Richmond outlet mall

Two men face multiple charges after a reported break-in at a retail business at a Richmond outlet mall early on Aug. 15, Richmond RCMP said.

Police received reports shortly after 4 a.m. that a stolen vehicle had crashed through the mall gates and into a retail storefront. The suspects are alleged to have entered the business, stolen merchandise and fled in the vehicle.

Officers quickly found a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle’s description. After police deployed a tire deflation device, the vehicle continued and collided with two police vehicles before stopping near No. 3 Road and Capstan Way.

Both suspects are alleged to have tried to flee on foot before they were arrested without further incident. Police recovered all stolen merchandise.

Derek Muirhead and Shahbaz Aulakh have each been charged with multiple offences, including break and enter, mischief, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, and obstructing a peace officer. Both were also arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants and remain in custody pending bail hearings.

Corporal Melissa Lui, Richmond RCMP’s media relations officer, said frontline officers and specialized police resources worked together to safely conclude the incident and recover the property. She said the responding officers’ actions helped minimize further risk to the public while the suspects were arrested.

Richmond RCMP said it will continue working with local businesses and security partners to address property crime and hold offenders accountable.