Vernon RCMP
(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)
August 10, 2015 - 3:32 PM
VERNON - A police chase by both land and water ended with the arrest of a prolific offender in Vernon this morning.
The pursuit began just after 6:15 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10, after police received a report of a suspect on Okanagan Lake near Lakeshore Road. The man had commandeered a Zodiac boat and was towing three stolen kayaks, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says in a media release.
A member of the public offered to take police out in his boat so they could follow the suspect, who made it to shore and took off into the bush before officers could catch him. The police dog team was called in and promptly located the 40-year-old suspect.
“He gave up only after the dog made contact with him,” Molendyk says.
The man was found in possession of numerous stolen items, break and enter instruments and bear spray. Police also seized a stolen Samsung Galaxy S4 connected to a theft from a car reported at 4 a.m. this morning.
“It turns out the suspect is a prolific offender out of Kelowna and will be held for court as our officers continue to investigate the thefts from vehicles,” Molendyk says.
Investigators believe the suspect hid a blue and a yellow kayak in an area between Kin Beach south to Old Stump Mill Road. Police are asking anyone in the north end of Okanagan Lake that had a Zodiac boat or kayaks stolen to please call the detachment at 250 545-7171.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015