Vernon Mounties say duo in stolen vehicle caught shoplifting

Vernon, B.C., Mounties thought they were just about to catch some suspected shoplifters when they say they discovered something much bigger.

At around 2:50 p.m. Monday, a theft was reported in the 5000 block of Anderson Way in Vernon.

A man and woman had left a store without paying for items and were loading them into a pickup truck in the parking lot when officers pulled in, police said.

Police stopped the truck from driving away, and a man and woman were arrested.

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“Police checks confirmed the truck was recently reported stolen out of the Kamloops area,” RCMP said.

A 29-year-old Vernon man was issued a 90-day IRP under the Motor Vehicle Act after refusing to provide a sample of his breath into a roadside screening device.

He has also been charged with one count each of theft and possession of stolen property and was released from custody following an initial court appearance.

The woman was later released from custody without charges.