Thief steals unattended car, police hunt ensues

A type of car jacking incident set off a police pursuit in Kelowna today.

RCMP say the owner of a white Nissan Altima started their vehicle to warm it up around 8:00 a.m. in the 200 block of Boucherie Road and then left it unattended.

That’s when a female suspect reportedly jumped into the car and drove off.

That car, and another associated vehicle, were seen driving over the Bennett Bridge towards Kelowna about 30 minutes later.

“The suspect in the white Nissan Altima is described as a Caucasian female, approximately 30 years of age with blond hair and wearing a black parka type jacket,” Ryan Watters, communications advisor, police services, said.

After receiving the report, the RCMP launched the Air 4 helicopter for aerial support.

A tip from the public led officers to Maple Avenue where the Altima was found abandoned.

“The caller reported the car was left on their front lawn and the female suspect then ran away through several properties,” Watters said.

The Police Dog Service team was called into the area to search for two female suspects who, at last report, were still at large.

Anyone with information on the suspects, or anyone that was traveling with dash cam footage in the area of Maple Avenue in Kelowna between 9:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 and reference the file 2022-67654.