A Mission man is in custody after police allegedly spotted him climbing into a stolen vehicle.
Two vehicles were reported stolen from the Mission area this week after the owners left them running with keys in the ignition while they took care of errands. The vehicle thefts were reported to police, who made inquiries around town.
“A lot of our guys have good contacts in the community,” said Mission RCMP Insp. Richard Konarski. “They were following up on a tip and found a stolen truck at the Sports Park.”
Police had a good idea who the suspect was and where to find him, added Konarski.
Mounties soon watched the suspect leave a residence and get into another allegedly stolen vehicle. That’s when officers began approaching him from all four directions.
“He tried to flop over a fence, but he hurt himself and the fence,” said the inspector.
RCMP describe the suspect as a prolific offender, but cannot release his name until charges are laid.
Police say incidents like these are preventable and advise motorists to keep their vehicles locked even if they are going into a store for a short period of time.
