Police in Vernon made a teenager’s day this week when they returned his stolen mountain bike.
According to Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, the teenager saved up this summer to buy the bike, which was brazenly swiped from the Vernon Recreation Centre on Tuesday, around 6:30 p.m.
Police say a man approached the bike rack at the rec centre, cut the bike’s lock, then fled the area on the bike.
RCMP say the theft took just a matter of minutes in a busy area, but a witness immediately advice police of the incident, and included a detailed description of the suspect.
The owner of the bike was located inside the rec centre, and was able to provide detailed information about the mountain bike.
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Police say despite numerous patrols that evening, the suspect and the stolen bike could not be located. But the next day, officers from the Crime Reduction Unit looked into the incident.
“Our Crime Reduction Unit immediately recognized the distinct description given for the suspect as an individual they had interaction with this summer,” said RCMP Cpl. Tania Finn.
“Within a few minutes of hitting the streets, the Crime Reduction Unit located the suspect in an area he was known to frequent and recovered the stolen mountain bike.”
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Police say the teen has been reunited with his mountain bike, and that a 31-year-old Alberta man was arrested and is currently in custody facing charges of theft under $5000 and possession of stolen property.