
A suspect is in custody following a break in at the Naramata Store sometime between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Sgt. Rick Dellebuur with the Penticton RCMP, said the male was arrested around 5 p.m. Wednesday in Kaleden. He did not release any further information on the man at this time.
Staff at the store in the heart of Naramata realized something was not right when they arrived for work early Wednesday.
Someone had broken in, damaging doors and stealing everything they could lay their hands on.
"The main door was broken and a crowbar was holding it shut," said clerk Heather Mehrer. "They stole the hard drives to our computer, the computer from the post office, all our stamps, lottery tickets, cigarettes and liquor, anything that was easy to grab.
So we still have not figured out the total that was stolen."
The store was closed most of the day on Wednesday. Staff, who appeared pale and drawn, continued the clean up on Thursday morning. Customers walked in and out through a gap where the front door used to be.
The store has been broken into before, according to staff. Several years ago a car crashed through the door and liquor was stolen.
As a preventive measure, bollards (posts) were placed in front of the door.
The store serves as the hub of this small community, and is a busy place in the summer.
Mehrer said the most recent incident has been hard on employees.
"It has been a real shock," she said.