Recent immigrant steals veterans donation boxes

[Papa_Complex]

This takes some careful reading, to get the full gist of it. "Breach of recognizance" means that he was convicted of something prior to this, and was given release terms (parole, probation, etc.). In other words it isn't his first crime.

Accused in poppy box thefts in court

By Rob Lamberti ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 10:45 AM EST | Updated: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 12:52 PM EST

TORONTO - A Hamilton poppy bandit struck for the third time as a Toronto man awaits his bail hearing on unrelated charges of stealing poppy donation boxes.

Tomas Hvozdar, 26, is expected to have his bail hearing later today as court awaits a Czech interpreter.

He’s charged with stealing three poppy boxes and failing to comply with recognizance in connection with a July 6 arrest for theft.

“I can’t tell whether he’s done this or not,” his lawyer Alison MacKay said outside court before his bail hearing.

“But I can tell you Tomas is going through a very difficult time,” she said.

“His common-law wife’s daughter is 18 and she is dying of cancer,” MacKay said.

“So they’re expecting her to have basically three weeks to a month. I can’t discuss anything more.”

But MacKay said that Hvozdar is a fairly recent immigrant to Canada and may not understand the significance of poppies to Canadians.

Meanwhile, a bandit has taken poppy donations boxes for a third time since Nov. 3 in Hamilton.

At around 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, the bandit enter a Tim Hortons on Barton St. E. near Grays Rd. and made off with two boxes.

He earlier stole boxes from two other Tim shops, one of which was captured on video and released by police.

Police are asking for help in identifying him. Anyone with information is asked to call 905-546-4925 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.