Three arrested in South Okanagan backcountry pursuit

RCMP arrested three suspects after they fled from a stolen vehicle into the backcountry near Mount Baldy in the South Okanagan.

On April 2 at around 9:05 a.m., Oliver RCMP officers responded to a report of a civilian following a stolen vehicle on McKinney Road, when the civilian's vehicle was rammed into by the stolen vehicle at which point its occupants fled into the snow-covered bush, according to an RCMP news release.

Officers from the Oliver and Osoyoos RCMP were sent to the scene where they located the stolen Ford F250 pickup truck that had been missing from West Kelowna since March 26.

Two of the individuals who had fled the truck were quickly located in the bushes near the road. One was a 22-year-old woman from Vernon and the other a 38-year-old woman from Oliver.

The driver, a 27-year-old man from Williams Lake, was located after an extensive search in the backcountry requiring assistance from the RCMP Air Services and a police service dog from Penticton.

"The capture and arrest of this man would not have been possible without the determined efforts of police dog Dug," South Okanagan RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Jason Bayda said in the release.

"Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the dedication of our dog handler and cover officer who trekked through nearly 5 km of snow and steep terrain under the watchful eyes in the sky of our skilled pilot.

"We always encourage the public to call us when they see a crime being committed and to not engage the suspects. You never know who you are dealing with and what risks they can pose to you. In this case, we are thankful that neither the citizen nor any officers were injured. The man and two women were also uninjured but as can be expected, they were cold and tired."

The three individuals were arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and the man also faces charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and breach of probation.

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