Image Credit: Shutterstock
July 04, 2017 - 3:09 PM
KELOWNA – Copious amounts of stolen property were retrieved this weekend after a Kelowna RCMP officer spotted a prolific offender in an expensive Mission neighbourhood.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. on July 3 police were called to the Sarsons Road area to back up an off-duty officer who was detaining 47-year-old David Martin of no fixed address, according to an RCMP media release.
“The off-duty Kelowna Mountie spotted the prolific offender, well-known to him, biking and entering into private driveways in the area of Lakeshore Road and Dehart Avenue. The officer confronted the suspect who immediately attempted to flee the area on his bike,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says in the release.
Followed by the officer, the suspect lost control of his bike and fell to the ground. Copious amounts of suspected stolen property spilled onto the roadway, from the suspects back pack, as he scrambled to get to his feet and run again, O'Donaghey says. The officer, now on foot, performed a takedown physically apprehending the suspect while he awaited the arrival of his back up.
David Martin was found in breach of at least four probation orders and had a bag full of car keys and break-in tools.
He was taken into custody and charged with possession of break-in instruments, theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property and breach of his probation. He will appear in court July 10.
If you were the victim of a theft from vehicle in the area of Sarsons Road, Dehart Road and Lakeshore Road over the weekend, where property was taken and you have not yet reported the incident to police, you are asked to contact the Kelowna Detachment at 250-762-3300.
O’Donaghey says RCMP have seen a notable increase in the amount of reported theft from vehicle incidents in the Central Okanagan.
“All too often, residents continue to leave their wallets inside their unsecure parked vehicles during all hours of the day and night. Thieves are subsequently committing thousands of dollars in frauds, often using the tap feature of credit and debit cards, during the first several hours following the initial theft,” he says.
“The key to avoid becoming a victim of theft and or fraud is to secure your motor vehicle and remove all personal valuables which include wallets, cellular phones, residential and automotive keys, GPS devices and dash cameras. Our investigators are pleading with vehicle owners, as they are over tasked with spending countless hours probing the thefts and subsequent frauds.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw or call 250-718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2017