A subtle getaway it wasn’t, with sparks flying as thieves hit up a Kelowna winery last weekend, dragging a stolen generator behind their getaway minivan.
The incident, which happened during the early hours of Saturday, July 13, was captured on surveillance video by the winery on Chute Lake Road.
Kelowna RCMP released the surveillance video to the media on Friday afternoon.
Police say they were alerted of the theft on Monday, and that they wound up reviewing video surveillance footage.
According to police, the unknown male suspects gained access to a storage area and removed a number of tools. The suspects’ getaway vehicle was a dark-green minivan, believed to be a Chevrolet model.
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“Their tactics were anything but subtle,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
“After loading an arc welder, a car jack and other tools into the van, the suspects haphazardly tied a generator to the rear of the vehicle and drove away from the scene.”
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O’Donaghey added, “the generator not only created a serious traffic hazard on the roadway, but the sparks it created from being dragged along the asphalt posed a significant risk of triggering a wildfire.”
If you witnessed this incident or you have any information that may be of assistance to police, you are asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.