A Penticton, B.C., woman who tried to reclaim a bicycle she believed had been stolen had a frightening confrontation last week.
According to local RCMP, the woman spotted the stolen bicycle near Fairford and Industrial Avenue March 16 and when she started rolling it away, a man reportedly pointed a firearm toward her.
The woman was safely able to return to her vehicle and call the police.
“When officers were on the scene, they located the suspect and arrested him without incident. Officers seized a replica handgun from the suspect,” RCMP said in a release.
Anthony Muskego, 33, was held in custody and charged with pointing a firearm.
Because of the potential risks involved, one cannot show or use an imitation gun in a public place.
“The detail found in replica firearms sold today, being accurate to those of real ones, are of great concern for officers, as it makes it difficult to tell if they’re real or fake,” Cpl. James Grandy said.
“Due to the inherent risks, we want to stress, that should a member of the public believe they’ve spotted stolen property, call police and not approach and try to retrieve it themselves.”