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Hockey association responds to South Surrey car-keying ‘connection’

Alleged vandalism of Tesla 3 caught on dash-cam footage Sept. 15
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Police hope to identify this man, in connection with an investigation into the Sept. 15 vandalism of a Tesla in South Surrey. (YouTube screen-grab)

Dash-cam footage posted online last week that appears to show a Tesla being vandalized in a South Surrey parking lot has led a number of internet sleuths to point out that a man in the video is wearing what appears to be a jacket from a local minor-hockey association.

Those comments, in turn, led the association to post a statement of its own regarding the situation – which included the alleged keying of the electric car – while calling for those with information to come forward.

“SEMI Hockey is aware of this video… and the suspect is seen wearing a SEMI Hockey jacket,” reads an Oct. 10 comment from the Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Facebook account posted on the Facebook page of the Surrey Now-Leader, the sister paper of the Peace Arch News.

• SEE ALSO: Dash-cam captures suspected ‘keying’ of Tesla in South Surrey

While asking that anyone who can identify the individual contact the Surrey RCMP, the post adds that the presence of a Semiahmoo Minor Hockey jacket does not necessarily mean the individual is a member of the association.

“We recognize that our jackets are often donated to clothing bins and other second-hand services, so this may not be a past or present member of the association. However, we do hold our members to a standard and want to remind them that they are representing our community when they are wearing our logo.

“SEMI Hockey has a population of over 960 players/families and we have circulated the video to managers of all teams to try and determine if the suspects belongs to our association.”

Dannie Chang said his Tesla 3 was keyed on Sept. 15 while parked at Sunnyside Village (2381 King George Blvd.), and the act was captured on his vehicle’s dash cams.

In the first of two videos – recording shortly after noon that day – a man wearing a dark jacket, jeans and a ball cap can be seen for eight seconds. As he approaches, he shifts something yellow from his left hand to his right, then reaches into his left pant pocket.

In the second video, a person who looks to be the same man can be seen dragging what is presumably a key along the length of the Tesla’s driver side.

“A man walked by my car and key scratched my left side front and rear door, he acted so naturally, it seems it’s not his first time of doing this,” Chang told PAN by email last week.

On Tuesday, Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Association executive director Dave Newson told PAN by email that there were no updates with regard to identify the man in the video.

“No one within our organization can seem to identify this guy. Certainly looks bad for our reputation, and we would love to see this guy identified, but it seems like he is from outside our organization,” he wrote.

Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to contact police at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-222-8477. Quote file 2019-144589.



editorial@peacearchnews.com

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