Vancouver Island man charged in 2023 jewelry store heist in Chilliwack
Mitchell John Andonov, 40, has several B&E convictions & current charges in Nanaimo area
A 40-year-old Nanaimo man is facing charges of break-and-enter in connection with a November 2023 jewelry store heist in a plaza on Vedder Road in Sardis.
Mitchell John Andonov, born 1985, was charged on Jan. 14, 2026, with the alleged offences that occurred in Chilliwack, but he is yet to step foot in a Fraser Valley courtroom. Andonov is remanded in custody on Vancouver Island having had three court appearances via video from Port Alberni since charges were laid.
On Nov. 18, 2023, at approximately 3 a.m., Chilliwack RCMP frontline officers responded to a report of a break and enter at Royal's Gold and Silver Jewellers at 7300 Vedder Rd. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the business had sustained damage, including forced entry. A substantial quantity of high‑value jewelry had been stolen, representing a significant loss to the business owner, according to an RCMP release issued Jan. 27.
As officers examined the scene, they also noted that several neighbouring businesses in the plaza had sustained collateral damage as a result of the suspect’s efforts to gain entry.
Police say the investigation that followed was detailed and resource‑intensive, requiring co-ordination between multiple RCMP units and external agencies. Members of the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crime Unit, working in partnership with the Integrated Forensic Identification Section, conducted extensive forensic analysis, canvassed surrounding businesses for video surveillance, and reviewed numerous investigative leads.
Two months after the Chilliwack B&E, Andonov is alleged to have gone on a tear up the inside of Vancouver Island. He faces several break-and-enter charges in Nanaimo, Cumberland, and Courtenay over a period of time from Jan. 5 to Jan. 14, 2024, cases that are still before the courts.
Then in Nov. 10, 2025, he allegedly did a break and enter in Parksville, another case still before the courts, his arrest for which might have been the forensics tie to Chilliwack.
RCMP statement said that through their work, investigators were able to identify Andonov as the person responsible with the charges marking a "major step forward in a lengthy and complex multi‑jurisdictional investigation." Andonov, who has no known ties to the Chilliwack area, was later located, arrested, and charged, and remains in custody on the the island.
“This was a detailed investigation that took time because it involved several police jurisdictions and unfolded over a few years,” Chilliwack RCMP Const. Hannah Sutton said in the release. “The evidence collected at the scene played a key role in helping us identify who was responsible. The teamwork and persistence displayed throughout this investigation demonstrate our ongoing commitment to holding offenders accountable.”
The RCMP continues to encourage business owners to ensure their security systems are up to date, and to report suspicious activity.
Andonov also has several B&E convictions from Nanaimo over a four-day periood at the end of 2011 into 2012.
He is due back in court Jan. 29 appearing via video from Port Alberni.
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Paul J. Henderson
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