A thief who dropped his wallet at a crime scene in Maple Ridge was arrested when he came back to look for it. So was his accomplice.

Ridge Meadows RCMP arrested the pair in connection with a catalytic converter theft in the early hours of Monday morning.

At approximately 3 a.m., a man reported suspicious activity occurring around his vehicle. His catalytic converter had been stolen from underneath the vehicle, and he discovered a saw blade on the ground near his car. The man also made another unique discovery – a wallet which did not belong to anyone in the household.

Police felt it highly likely the man caught the thieves off-guard. In their hurry to flee the scene, they dropped the wallet and saw blade used to remove the catalytic converter. The wallet contained full ID information inside.

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Curious if the thieves would return to look for the missing wallet, police took covert positions in the area.

Sure enough, a short time later, a vehicle with two men inside returned to the area, and circled around the block multiple times. The car was stopped by police, and the wallet and ID cards matched the passenger in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the car also revealed the suspected stolen catalytic converter.

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Two men were arrested for theft under $5,000, criminal mischief and possession of items used for break and entering.

Both men were released with multiple conditions and will be attending a future court date.

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