Prolific offender caught in Kelowna bait car

KELOWNA – A convicted car thief who is well-known to Kelowna police was arrested inside an RCMP bait car earlier this week.

Kenneth Fawcett, 37, is originally from Fort St. John but according to a media release from RCMP Const. Lesley Smith, is “a well-known prolific offender” with a lengthy criminal record for vehicle and property thefts.

Shortly before 10 p.m. April 8, RCMP were notified that one of their bait cars had been started.

“Dispatch was able to provide live video feed updates as the male suspect drove northbound towards Lake Country,” Smith says. “Once police were in a tactically safe position, the vehicle’s engine was disabled and the sole male occupant was taken into police custody without incident.”

Fawcett was held in custody overnight and is charged with theft over $5,000 and driving while prohibited.

“In any given community prolific offenders account for 80 percent of all crime committed,” Smith says. “Rest assured our members will continue to identify, locate and arrest these individuals and hold them accountable for the crimes they have committed.”

The Officer in charge of IMPACT- BC’s Auto Crime Police Brian MacDonald says the bait car program has been “very successful” in B.C.

“We are putting would be thieves on notice that Bait Cars are everywhere and you will go to jail.”

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