A 35-year-old man has been charged with seven counts of breaking and entering after a string of Winnipeg home invasions Saturday morning, including one at the residence of independent MLA Mark Wasyliw. Police say six homes and a high school in the Crescentwood neighbourhood were targeted, with damage estimated at $25,000.

For context: Fort Garry is a central Winnipeg riding that includes the affluent Crescentwood area, where property crime rates have remained below the city average in recent years. Saturday’s incidents mark a rare, concentrated spree in the neighbourhood.

MLA describes chaotic confrontation during break-in

Wasyliw, who represents Fort Garry, told police he was asleep when a loud crash woke him around 7 a.m. He found a man with his head through a shattered window, demanding alcohol and pointing at items in his dining room. The suspect, who police say did not know any victims, allegedly threw concrete through another window before fleeing.

“He was talking gibberish—not making a lot of sense,” Wasyliw told Global News. He called 911 after hearing additional crashes outside, including at nearby properties. No residents were injured during the incidents.

Police track suspect through neighbourhood

Officers responding to multiple 911 calls in the 100 block of Kingsway Avenue located the suspect walking down the street. A victim flagged him down, and police say he was armed with a broken liquor bottle, which he dropped before being arrested without incident.

The man now faces seven break-and-enter charges, along with counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and failing to comply with release conditions. Police have not released his name pending a court appearance.

What happens next in the case

The suspect remains in custody as investigators review evidence from the six residential break-ins and the high school. Winnipeg police have not indicated whether additional charges are expected. Wasyliw and other victims are cooperating with the investigation, though no further details about the suspect’s motives have been disclosed.