Police in Edmonton have arrested six people they believe are involved in a recent increase in thefts of idling vehicles.
According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), the month of March saw a spike in early morning thefts of idling vehicles within the city and surrounding areas.
On Mar. 21, the EPS’ Response to Auto Theft Prevention (TRAP) unit located four stolen vehicles at a West Edmonton motel.
Caleb Marks, 33, faces several charges including possession of stolen property.
Police said while they were investigating Marks, TRAP members identified an “associated residence in west Edmonton where on March 26, they located three more stolen vehicles, including a 2017 Jaguar F-Pace that had been reported stolen from Spruce Grove that morning.
“While leaving your vehicle idling should not make you a victim of crime, the suspects who commit auto crimes are looking for easy targets. That’s why we encourage Edmontonians to lock up and turn off their unattended vehicles,” said TRAP Sergeant Ian Strom.
Edmonton police said TRAP made 490 arrests resulting in over 1,700 criminal charges in 2023.
Kristopher Prasad, 27, Michael Night, 35, Britney Dyck, 22, Alexander Carriere, 34 and Tammy Glimps, 42 face a total of 24 criminal charges including theft of motor vehicles and possession of stolen property.