Innisfil man faces 94 charges following break-and-enter probe (6 photos)

Early Tuesday morning, South Simcoe police officers arrested a 33-year-old Innisfil resident following a major break-and-enter investigation conducted between September and December 2019. 

South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher and Staff Sgt. Sheryl Sutton were at South Division headquarters in Bradford this morning to share details of the arrest and showcase stolen items that were recovered throughout the investigation. 

William Pittman faces 94 charges, including 17 counts of break and enter, 15 counts of possession of break-in instruments, nine counts of theft, nine counts of wearing a disguise with intent, 16 counts of mischief and 28 charges of failure to comply. 

Prior to moving to the area six months ago, Pittman lived in the Greater Toronto Area and is well known to police through “previous charges in other matters,” Fletcher said. 

“We speculate around September is when he moved into our area, so around that time is when these offences started taking place,” said Sutton. 

None of the allegations have been proven in court. 

South Simcoe police is working with other jurisdictions, including Nottawasaga OPP and Durham Regional Police, to determine if the suspect is linked to other similar crimes in the GTA. 

“There are some similar situations that have happened in their areas, so they are investigating theirs to see if there is a link to our suspect,” said Sutton. “In all probability, there will be more charges laid against Mr. Pittman.”

In total, nine businesses, four churches and four schools were broken into in the South Simcoe area over the course of four months, including the Chrysler 400 dealership and Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery in Bradford. 

“Those are the ones that we have been able to identify,” Sutton said. “There’s a potential that there could be other victims out there. They just haven’t come forward.”

Police believe Pittman acted alone and there are no other suspects at this time. 

A search warrant was executed at his Innisfil home, with items recovered including an ATV, cash registers, safes and cutting tools, police said. 

The police cannot confirm if the ATV is stolen, but said the vehicle was allegedly used by Pittman when committing his crimes. 

The value of stolen items and cash is estimated to be around $6,000.

However, Fletcher says the property damage far outweighs the value of items stolen. 

“The damage that was done was more than trifling,” the chief said. 

Video footage and tips from the public helped police to make an arrest. 

“We thank our community members and our victims who have assisted us and helped us identify the suspect that subsequently led to the arrest,” said Sutton. 

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information can contact the South Simcoe Police Service at 905-775-3311.