A man will ring in 2020 in custody following a complaint that led to his arrest, with police officers recovering a stolen handgun and stolen truck.
According to Salmon Arm RCMP, the unnamed man was arrested on Christmas Eve. Officers received a complaint around 4 p.m. of a suspicious vehicle along the 3500 block of Lakeshore Road NE.
There, police say an F350 truck had gotten stuck in deep snow on the property. When officers arrived, the man behind the wheel allegedly tried driving away, but couldn’t.
Police say he then fled on foot, throwing items in the snow.
Officers located and arrested him after determining the truck had been stolen from a worksite in Alberta.
Salmon Arm RCMP say a police dog from Vernon was then called in to search for items he threw while fleeing.
Police say the dog located a semi-automatic handgun that had been stolen in 2016 from Evansburg, Alta.
Salmon Arm RCMP Staff Sgt. Scott West said the man has an extensive criminal record and that a bail hearing was held.
Police say the man was held in custody and is facing several charges, including possession of stolen goods and breaching a number of court-ordered prohibitions relating to four convictions for drug offences.