Clockwise from left: Inspector Gord Stewart, Brian Healey, Jen Ibuki and Alec Healey are pictured in this photo submitted by Vernon RCMP.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/RCMP
March 26, 2018 - 10:47 AM
VERNON - A Vernon youth is being commended by the city’s top cop for helping to solve a crime.
Police say Alec Healey’s tenacity and investigative skills were instrumental in getting to the bottom of a report of a stolen vehicle.
It all started on Dec. 18, 2017 when police received a report of a vehicle stolen from the parking lot of the Vernon Econolodge, RCMP spokesperson Const. Kelly Brett says in a media release.
Police located the vehicle and arrested its two occupants for possession of stolen property. They were ultimately kept in custody, Brett says.
But Jenna Ibuki, the manager of the Econolodge, thought the report of the stolen car just didn’t add up. She told her son Alec about the incident and he took it upon himself to review hours of video surveillance until he identified the vehicle that had been reported stolen. He then downloaded the video and met with police to review his findings.
Based on Alec’s work, it quickly became evident the account of the vehicle’s theft as explained to police differed from the events observed on the Econolodge video surveillance, Brett says.
As a result of the new information, the court did not approve the charges and the occupants of the vehicle were released from custody.
On March 8, acting Officer in Charge of the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP, Insp. Gord Stewart, awarded Alec with a certificate of appreciation for his involvement in the case.
“Alec’s uncommon diligence and dedication were essential to a proper understanding of this investigation,” Stewart says in the release. “On behalf of the community as a whole, I would like to express the utmost gratitude to Mr. Healy for his assistance with this investigation.”
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