Gatineau police looking for victims of underwear theft as part of serial crime investigation
The Gatineau Police Service is looking to speak with anyone in the area who had underwear stolen during the past few years.
In a Wednesday, Aug. 26, news release, Gatineau police said officers arrested a Gatineau man after he allegedly offered his services as a “handyman” for various types of work in private homes, mainly those of women.
Police said 52-year-old Timothy Patten was arrested as part of a Nov. 20, 2025, investigation in which police officers carried out a search warrant at a residence in the Manoir des Trembles area. The investigation was conducted in connection with two burglary cases.
“After he had gained access to the victim’s homes, the victims reported finding underwear that did not belong to them and discovering that some of their own underwear was missing,” the news release stated.
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Police said Patten was remanded in custody and appeared before the Court of Québec, but that the investigation continued following his court appearance and further charges relating to similar offences were authorized by the Director of Criminal Penal Prosecutions.
“These new complaints, combined with the evidence gathered, lead investigators to believe that the man may have victimized other people in the Manoir des Trembles neighbourhood, as well as elsewhere in Gatineau and Ottawa,” police said in the release.
As a result, Gatineau police said they are deploying the structure de gestion des enquêtes sur les crimes en série (GECS), co-ordinated by Sûreté du Québec, for the investigation.
Anyone with information regarding similar incidents or who believes they may have been a victim was asked to contact the the Gatineau police information line at 819-243-4636, extension 5.
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