Two men charged after alleged break-in at Richmond outlet mall

Two men face multiple charges after an alleged break-and-enter at Richmond's McArthurGlen Designer Outlet mall. Derek Muirhead and Shahbax Aulakh are charged with 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.

Richmond RCMP said they received a report shortly after 4 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15, that an allegedly stolen vehicle had crashed through the outlet mall gates and into a luxury store. The suspects are alleged to have entered the business, stolen items and fled in the vehicle.

Police located the vehicle and used a tire-deflation device, but allege it continued driving and eventually collided with two police vehicles before stopping at No. 3 Road and Capstan Way. The two men allegedly tried to flee on foot before being arrested, and the stolen property was recovered.

Both men were also arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants and remain in custody awaiting bail hearings, police said. Cpl. Melissa Lui, media relations officer for Richmond RCMP, said frontline officers and specialized resources worked together to safely conclude the incident and recover the property while minimizing further risk to the public.

Aulakh is scheduled for a Sept. 11 bail hearing and Muirhead for a Sept. 15 hearing, both in Surrey Provincial Court.