Mayor says his office broken into overnight

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said Tuesday that his office was broken into overnight, though he said the act did not appear politically motivated.

Speaking to reporters that afternoon, Sutcliffe said his staff arrived in the morning and discovered open drawers and objects out of place.

He specified that it did not appear the intruders entered the office he personally uses, but rather a suite of rooms that is used by his staff and is collectively referred to as the mayor's office.

"It appears as though a couple of things were taken, although we're trying to sort through that and confirm it," Sutcliffe said.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, the Ottawa Police Service confirmed that a suspect is in custody in connection with the case. They had no further information to share at that time.

Sutcliffe called the break-in "unsettling," but said there were no signs the it targeted him for political reasons.

"There were lots of things that could have been stolen that weren't," he said. "There wasn't anything that reflected any kind of political motivation for it."

He said police and city hall security staff are investigating.

Sutcliffe said another location at city hall was also broken into, but he could not immediately say which one. His staff said they did not know how the offices were accessed or specifically which objects were taken.

"It's concerning, obviously, in this political environment you're always worried about safety and security," he said. "And I worry about that not just for myself and my family, but also for my staff."