Penticton RCMP kept hopping with stolen vehicles

PENTICTON – Penticton RCMP were kept busy with vehicle related incidents last week.

Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says an RCMP officer driving on Eastside Road on Tuesday, July 7 spotted a vehicle reported stolen a short time before. The officer turned around and followed the vehicle, which soon was driven into a ditch.

The three men fled from the vehicle were located by a police dog, according to Wrigglesworth who says police found a bag of stolen goods taken from local businesses. The three accused were charged and release on a promise to appear.

In another incident, a Chev Silverado was reported stolen from a Forestbrook Drive residence on Tuesday, July 7. The B.C. license number is CK8742. The owner of the truck found a mountain bike left in place of the truck.

A motorcycle was reported stolen from a Wilson Street residence on Wednesday, July 8.

As well, a number of thefts from automobiles were reported early Friday morning, July 10 from the Lakeside Casino parking arcade. Two men with masks were seen in the parked entering vehicles. Upon arrival of police, the suspects fled on foot. The men, wearing toques and bandannas, were later spotted in the West Bench area, but eluded police. The incident continues under investigation.

On Friday, July 10, more than $50,000 in damage to five parked vehicles and two properties occurred when a vehicle went off the road and over a retaining wall on Lakeside Drive at approximately 2:30 a.m. The driver of a van fled on foot, turning himself in to police later that day, confessing to the incident. A court date for the driver is pending.

RCMP are investigating the theft of a pickup from a Naramata residence reported at 8 a.m., Saturday, July 11. The vehicle was recovered Sunday at approximately 5 p.m. on Marron Valley Road with the key still in the ignition. The vehicle sustained some damage.

Meanwhile, police are seeking the owner of two red and white jet skis on a trailer recovered from a parking zone at Riverside Mall. The owners should contact Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.