RCMP catch suspect after string of thefts

Kelowna Regional RCMP arrested a man in connection with a stolen truck, a service truck, tool trailer and tools in a file with several moving parts dating back to the end of 2022.

Initially, the suspect allegedly stole a truck in December of 2022 from a residence in the 10000 block of Cheryl Road in Lake Country and has been using it since.

Then on March 5, 2023 Kelowna RCMP received a report from a mechanic repair shop who reported one of their service trucks had been stolen from a business on Tilley Road in Kelowna. Police later received information the stolen truck was spotted in the Beaver Lake Road area hauling a tool trailer, which was not associated to the repair shop.

The following morning on March 6, RCMP recovered the stolen service truck at a business in Lake Country. The truck was still idling and had stolen property inside when it was recovered. The tool trailer was recovered around the same time and officers learned several high-end tools has been stolen from it. Officers also recovered a stolen car at this location that had been reported stolen out of Langley.

A tracking device embedded into the high-end tools by the owner assisted Lake Country officers to a business in the 10000 block of Highway 97 in Lake Country. Once on scene, officers located the suspect and safely arrested him for multiple counts of possession of stolen property.

The suspect was also arrested on his outstanding warrant from Surrey. The truck stolen in December of 2022 as well as the high-end tools were also recovered on scene.

“This is an excellent example of our officers within the Kelowna Regional Detachment areas working together to solve crime that impacts all of our communities,“ Const. Bob Moon of the Lake Country RCMP General Investigation Section said. “We encourage the public to etch, mark or initial their tools, as this practice assists officers in returning stolen tools to their rightful owners.”