Three recently stolen vehicles were recovered by Kelowna, B.C., Mounties in the last week.
Just after midnight on Dec. 16 a Ford F350 that had been reported stolen a few hours prior from the Kelowna airport long-term parking lot was located in the area of Elliott Avenue in Kelowna, and the suspect was arrested, though not after causing some damage.
“It was subsequently determined that the F350 had collided with a parked vehicle a short distance away causing extensive damage to both vehicles and fled the scene,” RCMP said in a press release.
For the theft and subsequent damage, a 27-year-old man from Nanaimo appeared in court on Dec. 16 and has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, possession of break-in instruments, breach of release order and driving while prohibited.
He also had three outstanding warrants from various jurisdictions in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. The man has been held in custody with a court appearance scheduled for Dec. 20.
That wasn’t the only stolen vehicle found that night. Minutes later, an abandoned GMC Sierra was found parked in an alley in the area of the Kelowna General Hospital.
“The licence plate didn’t match the vehicle which was subsequently found to have been stolen from the Rutland area earlier that morning while it was left unattended and running in the owner’s driveway,” RCMP said. “The investigation is ongoing.”
Also, a vehicle with no plates was found parked behind an apartment complex on Pandosy Street.
The Nissan Maxima matched a vehicle reported stolen on Dec. 7 from West Kelowna after it was left running at a commercial building. The vehicle was confirmed as the stolen Maxima and subsequently recovered and returned to its owner.
“The Kelowna Detachment has made countering property crime a top priority. All levels including patrol officers as well as specialized units are focused on reducing this type of crime,” Cpl. Guillaume Tanguay said.
Stolen vehicles are usually used in the commission of further property crime offences.
Kelowna RCMP is reminding the public that criminals will jump on easy targets like vehicles left unsecured while warming up and unattended by their owners.