An early morning break-in and theft in Elmira on Tuesday ended in a car accident and a slew of charges for two London men.
![Woolwich Total Health Pharmacy was broken into on Nov. 5 through this side window. About $5,000 worth of drugs were stolen.[Whitney Neilson / the observer]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/post_news_pharmacy.jpg)
William Kechego, 33, and Peter Keenan-Dyck, 31 appeared in Kitchener court the same day on allegations of stealing $5,000 in drugs from the Woolwich Total Health Pharmacy on Church Street in Elmira.
More charges followed after police found a shotgun, ammunition, break-and-enter tools and other controlled substances in the vehicle when they crashed the stolen Honda Pilot in Kitchener.
Police say Kechego, the driver of the stolen Honda, tried to steal two other vehicles after the crash in an attempt to escape. He was unsuccessful and arrested by police along with his partner-in-crime, Keenan-Dyck.
The crash occurred on Courtland Avenue East at Hayward Avenue and caused extensive damage to both vehicles. The driver of the other vehicle, a 51-year-old man from Kitchener driving a Toyota Venza, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson Olaf Heinzel said the break-in was reported 5:30 that morning. The drugs and weapons were discovered after the crash by the investigators.
“The break-and-enter at the pharmacy had occurred before 6 a.m., so at that point that crash had not occurred. The crash occurred about half an hour later,” Heinzel explained.
He said they would be making a first appearance, but no bail hearing had been set as of that time.
The charges include breaking and entering, possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen weapon for dangerous purposes, possession of break in weapons, impaired driving, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of controlled substances, and possession of a restricted firearm.
“It’s an ongoing investigation in the two have been charged with a number of offences including break and enter,” Heinzel said.
Keenan-Dyck was also charged with breaching three court orders from a 2013 conviction.
A pharmacist at Total Health said he received a call from the alarm company at 5:46 a.m.. The window the alleged thieves broke in through has since been boarded up and they’re waiting for it to be replaced. Insurance will cover the cost of the stolen pharmaceuticals.
Police found a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, two crowbars, two pry bars and rocks and cinder blocks in the SUV, along with the $5,000 in opiates and painkillers. The SUV was reported stolen in London in September.
The road where the crash occurred was closed for several hours while the police conducted their investigation.
