Around 12:45 a.m. on Oct. 30, Quesnel RCMP received a report of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle had been left running with the keys in the ignition behind a Quesnel business.
As the owner came outside, he witnessed a man speed away in his vehicle. The owner alerted police immediately.
The occupied vehicle was located by a patrolling Quesnel RCMP member in the Bouchie Lake area. The RCMP member attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled.
The officer recognized the vehicle was being operated in an unsafe manner so he did not pursue the vehicle, but set up containment in the area. The vehicle was located abandoned a short distance away.
A police service dog team attended from Prince George and a track led police to the suspect who was hiding in the nearby bush.
The suspect was apprehended after a brief struggle with the police dog.
As a result of this struggle, the male received non-life-threatening injuries and was medically treated at G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital and returned to police custody.
Quesnel RCMP are recommending several charges against the 26-year-old Quesnel man including possession of property obtained by crime, flight from police, possession of break-in instruments and failing to comply with a recognizance or undertaking.
The suspect is being held in custody for his first appearance in court.
“Recently, Quesnel has experienced an increase in the theft of, and from, vehicles. Police are again reminding people to not leave their keys in their cars and to remove their belongings from inside their vehicles, in order to decrease the chances of being victimized,” says Quesnel RCMP’s Staff Sgt. Andrew Burton.
He adds police are continuing to target these types of crimes.