B.C. man charged in northern Alberta after stealing bread truck

A B.C. man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a bread truck from a grocery store in Grande Prairie, Alta., earlier this month.

Mark Anderson Mitchell, 44, a resident of Prince George, B.C., was charged with motor vehicle theft, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to comply with a probation order.

The charges stem from a June 6 incident. RCMP responded to a report that a man allegedly stole a Wonder Bread truck from a Save On Foods in the northern Alberta city, shortly before noon and was driving away “erratically.”

In a pun-laden press release, RCMP said officers spotted the truck as it tried to leave the city.

Other units, including the General Investigative Section, Special Investigative Unit, Crime Reduction Unit and Police Dog Services, were asked to follow the truck while officers set up spike belts.

After the spikes were deployed, the truck stopped in a Walmart parking lot in Grande Prairie.

“Two members of the public, who were not loafing around, noticed the suspect walking away and stopped him long enough for officers to conduct the arrest,” RCMP said in a news release Saturday.

“Upon searching the vehicle, it was noted that the man had started eating the bread and, some would say criminally, ignored the crust.”

Mitchell was brought before a justice of the peace and subsequently remanded into custody, police said.

He is expected to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Grande Prairie on Monday.

“Fortunately most of the bread was saved, however, after the damage, the truck itself was toast,” said Sgt. Michael Jaszczyszyn in the release.

The Alberta RCMP is reminding the public to eat their bread crust, adding it is always best to “try and earn some honest crust.”