MONTREAL -- Montreal police have arrested one of the looters who made off with guitars from Steve's Music Store after last Sunday's anti-racism protest downtown.
The 20-year-old Candiac man was the 12th person arrested after the series of break-ins and thefts affecting several businesses on Sunday. Eleven were arrested at the scene.
Montreal police say their counterparts in Roussillon recognized the suspect in a widely circulated photo that showed a man wearing a face covering making off with a red guitar and a blue guitar, one in each hand.
The man was picked up Tuesday afternoon at Ste. Catherine St. and Mansfield St. in downtown Montreal.
At the moment they located him, he happened to be in the process of returning one guitar to the store, said Officer Jean-Pierre Brabant of Montreal police.
“He was in possession of one of those guitars,” said Brabant. “He was going to give back one o those guitars to the store owner.”
Police brought back the guitar instead. Steve's manager Jason Hart said a note of apology was attached, though he wasn't impressed.
"It was only really after he got caught, via social media so...." said Hart in an interview.
"People started to recognize who it was or whatever, like that, and just called him out on it, from what I understand and he felt remorse and brought it back. But if circumstances were different, then maybe not."
The accused faces charges of theft, breaking and entering and resale of stolen goods.
Hart said they're grateful for all the support from customers since the vandalism happened.
They’ll be ready for the second anti-racism protest this Sunday.
"We might have a couple of staff, some managers stay in the store with some security - just inside the store, as a deterrent," said Hart.
Police will also be stepping up patrols.
Of the 11 people first arrested, on Sunday, all were between 21 and 33 years old, Brabant said.
