Axe-wielding suspect caught on video breaking into popular Kelowna bookstore

Mosaic Books in downtown Kelowna has another boarded-up window after yet another break-in and theft involving a suspect with what appeared to be an axe.

“He had an axe, a full-sized axe out of his shopping cart and just started hammering away at it,” said Michael Neill, the owner of  Mosiac Books.

The offence happened in the early morning hours of Wednesday and was caught on security video.

“It’s just sickening to watch it,” Neill said.  “We feel helpless, hopeless.”

The security video captured a person approaching the store around 4 a.m.

They can be seen reaching into their shopping cart and picking up the large tool.

The video then shows the suspects smashing a double-pane window half a dozen times before reaching in and grabbing about $800  worth of product.

But this is just the most recent offence in a string of them at the popular bookstore.

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Neill said that in the past year and a half, he is out some $9,000 having to constantly replace windows.

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is not surprised.

“Not at all,” said Chamber CEO George Greenwood. “It’s like a never-ending song.”

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Greenwood said the non-stop offences are compounding an already challenging business environment.

“People are not spending as much. Business is hurting just over the general economy and now they’re having to replace windows every other week, they’re having to replace doors,” Greenwood said. “They are having to hire extra security.”

‘The latest incident at Mosaic Books comes only one month after two other windows were smashed here and last week, Neill said a fire was lit in the back alley of the store.

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“Somebody caught up with the guy that did it,” Neill said. “He turned around and he laughed and he said, doesn’t matter… I’ll be out tomorrow.”

Neill, like many other frustrated business operators, is pointing the blame at the judicial system.

“Nothing is being done because it’s a catch and release program,” Neill told Global News. “It’s unbelievably frustrating.”

Earlier in the year, a city document revealed that in 2024, 15 people generated more than 1,300 police files.

That troubling trend prompted officials to send a letter to Ottawa pleading for harsher penalties.

“We’ve hit a tipping point,” Neill said. “This has gone too far.”

Police are asking for the public’s help with the investigation into the latest break-in but Neill is not hopeful it will make any significant difference.

“It would be a real shame if I just can’t put up with this anymore and we had to move out of downtown,” he said. “I think it would be the saddest thing.”

Mosaic Books has been operating for well over 30 years.