The North Vancouver RCMP is asking for the public’s help, after a U.S. couple’s belongings were stolen from the Airbnb they were staying at just minutes after they arrived.
It happened shortly after the couple arrived at their Lonsdale accommodation, before midnight on July 2.
Visiting from Indiana, Madhuchhda Mandal and her fiancé left the rental home’s backdoor open as they unloaded the rest of their luggage.
“And then we when went [back], it instantly dawned on me that we’d been robbed,” Mandal told CityNews.
She says her wallet, the pair’s passports, a laptop, car key, and a camera were all gone.
“I immediately went into a frantic mode … I was like, ‘no, no, no, this can’t be happening, this is just a nightmare.’ We travel so much and I know how important those documents are,” she said.
While the couple’s belongings are gone, the incident was captured on surveillance footage, which the Airbnb host shared with them after learning about what happened.
In the video, a person is seen exiting the home hastily while carrying multiple bags. The suspect then begins to run, still holding the items that were taken.
Mandal has shared the video online and with CityNews.
She says while they called police to report what happened, she claims it took officers more than an hour-and-a-half to show up.
The North Vancouver RCMP is now hoping someone will recognize the thief.
“If anybody recognizes the suspect in the video, they are asked to call the RCMP to further our investigation,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak.