Mountain View RM office among 74 break-ins linked to Regina man

By Ian MacKay

A man accused of break-ins around the province may have taken $800 from the office of the Rural Municipality of Mountain View.

A break-in at the office in Herschel on July 11, 2024 is included among 74 crimes that police say Michael Arsenault, 57, of Regina committed since September 2019. Investigators also believe Arsenault broke into three buildings in Biggar last Oct. 29, four in Eston on June 2 and one in Eatonia in June 2024.

Besides losing the money, the RM had to repair a door and install new locks, said Rachel Deobald, Mountain View’s administrator. The thief “stole the petty cash and there was some cash in the cash drawer that he stole,” Deobald said on Thursday.

“He used a crowbar to break into a door in the shop and we had to replace it (and) change all the locks, of course,” she said. “I know we lost $800 in cash, total.”

Repairing the damage cost considerably more than the money the RM lost, Deobald indicated.

That was the only break-in the RCMP accused Arsenault of committing in July 2024, according to an RCMP document. Surrounding it, they’ve charged him with a break-in at Manitou Beach on June 27 that year and another at Rama, near Yorkton, on Aug. 2.

The man faces 62 counts of committing break-ins, 12 of trying to break into buildings “with intent” and one each of possessing stolen property worth more and less than than $5,000, the statement said.

Police say he stole cash totalling about $50,000 plus debit, credit and gift cards, alcohol, antique coins and other items from businesses, community centres and municipal and post offices. They don’t yet believe he broke into any homes, the statement said.

“This may not be a violent crime, but it’s crime that is extremely damaging to those communities who lost valuables and funds and felt their safety has been compromised,” said Insp. Jillian McLaren, the RCMP South District operations officer.

Last May, her section formed a team to investigate “a series of property crimes reported across the district,” the statement said. They “identified 74 reports of break-ins they believed to be connected,” it said. The most recent occurred on Feb. 6 in Wynyard.