Thief rappelled into sports store before making off with 500 hockey sticks worth $150,000

A thief made a dramatic entrance in a hockey equipment store in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada, over the weekend, dropping from the roof in what could be a scene from Mission: Impossible. The thief entered Monkey Sports via a rope, before making off with about $150,000 worth of high-end hockey sticks. The incident took place on Saturday at about 10pm and was caught on surveillance camera.



“It's amazing,” said store manager Greg Goyer. “I’m also sickened.” Goyer is turning to the public for help, asking people to be on the lookout for his stolen goods or a deal on hockey sticks that’s too good to be true. The thief didn’t discriminate, grabbing some 500 sticks in a variety of brands, each about $300. He had plastic ties to bundle the sticks together, while an accomplice was waiting by the back door to collect the goods. The two made off in a white van.





Goyer said this isn’t the first break-in at Monkey Sports and that he beefed up security after a previous theft in August. In that incident, the thieves broke through the front windows. This break-in seemed well planned, said Goyer. “He found the right location on top of the roof,” he said, adding that’s it’s a 60,000 square-foot facility. “When you think about it, on top of the roof to find the key location to drop in the store where you’re not hitting anything – any beams, or any pipes or any electrical lines. To land directly in the stick section took some planning.”


YouTube link.

Due to the precise entry point, Montreal police said they will be interviewing staff about the robbery. “It’s going to be hard work for the investigator to understand why it happened and how they knew the place to do the hole,” said Montreal police spokesperson Benoit Boisselle. Police are also trying to determine if a second attempted robbery, on Sunday, is connected. Goyer said he’s heard of pilfered products ending up in the US or overseas, but hopes there will be a local tip before that happens. “If you're hearing about sticks being sold on the side at a great price, maybe ask the question or raise the flag,” he said.