$30K worth of wedding dresses, prom gowns stolen from Prince George store, says owner

A thief who ransacked a bridal boutique made off with at least $30,000 worth of merchandise, including wedding gowns and prom dresses on layaway for customers, said the owner of one of the largest bridal stores in northern B.C.

"[The thief] just went to town in here," saidMary Simoes, owner of Storybook Wedding in downtown Prince George, of the Feb. 7 crime.

"Shetook dresses on layaway that had been spoken for [by customers]. That's my big, big nightmare right now," said Simoes, who's ownedthe storefor over a decade.

"It's mind-boggling. I'm not sure what the thief isgoing to do with these wedding dresses."

Prince George RCMP are investigating the crime and released an image of a suspectfrom an in-store video surveillance system, which shows a young woman on site during the theft.

In a statement, Mounties asked the publicto watch out for wedding-related itemsand "suspicious listings" on online marketplaces.

Police said on Feb. 10 the value of the theft is estimated to be more than $10,000.

Simoessaid that has tripled as she and her staff continue to assessthe damageand tryto determine exactly what items were stolen and howto replace them.

Cash, costume jewelleryand wigs ripped off of bridal mannequins were also taken, she said.

Police have not said whetherinvestigators believe the suspect had accomplices.Simoes said the thief removed several windows from the store and brokedoors.

"Sheliterally went in and just started at one end of the store and workedherway through," alleged Simoes. "It's very invasive."

The store owner said she's angry and frustrated about increasing levels of property crime in downtown Prince George.

A report from December showed that RCMP in Prince George are dealing with more crime than almost any other city in the province.

A City of Prince George website lists more than 40 property crimes reported in the downtown area in January.

"People keep talking about cleaning up the downtown. They have done nothing. Just when I think it can't get any worse, it does get worse," said Simoes.

Simoes said her business has dropped by half as customers are leery of coming downtown. She saidpeople openly using drugs often block the entrance to the store, frightening customers.

Shealso said she's still dealing with an insurance claim from a year ago when a fire set in thealley behind her store caused smoke damage to wedding dresses.