Sick man attempts to steal a ride home

VERNON – Police say a 49-year-old Penticton man attempting to hot-wire a U-Haul vehicle told them he has a rare neurologic disorder and was just looking for a ride home.

A concerned resident called police about 12:25 a.m. June 23 after witnessing the interior light flashing in a parked U-Haul at 2504 43rd Street in Vernon. When police arrived they found the man sitting in the driver's seat with his walker next to him. He was wearing a black hoodie and gloves and was tampering with the vehicle's ignition. He also had items considered break and enter tools such as a balaclava, stored in a black bag.

The man was arrested. He told Mounties he suffers from "Stiff Man Syndrome" a neurologic disease characterized by a progressive rigidity and stiffness, mainly along the spine and lower extremities. He said he needed a ride back to Penticton.

The man has since been released on a promise to attend Vernon court August 8.