RCMP in New Brunswick are looking for a suspect who allegedly stole an SUV from a mall parking lot, after a female passenger and three young children were able to flee from the vehicle.
Codiac RCMP say the incident happened on Sunday at around 1 p.m. near the Toys “R” Us entrance at the Champlain Mall in Dieppe, N.B.
A woman reported to police that a man got into the vacant driver’s seat of her SUV and started the engine while she and three children were in the vehicle. The woman tried to turn off the engine but was unsuccessful.
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Police won’t reveal how, but the woman was able to get herself and the children out of the vehicle.
“The passenger and three children in the backseat were out of the vehicle and the suspect drove away,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Jamie Melanson.
RCMP have released images of the suspect from surveillance cameras at the mall. He is described as being in his mid-30s, about five-feet-10-inches tall with a thin build. He was wearing dark-framed glasses, a black baseball hat and jeans, and was carrying a backpack.
Police also note he spoke English with no “noticeable accent.”
The stolen SUV is a black 2010 Honda Pilot with the Prince Edward Island licence plate 908KU.
“We’re seeking the public’s assistance in identification of the male,” Melanson said. “If there were any witnesses who happened to see this, to please give us a call.”
Tips can be forwarded to police by calling (506) 857-2400 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.