Police dog and handler track down lottery ticket and cigarette thief in Lake Country

LAKE COUNTRY – RCMP caught up with a Vernon man early this morning after he allegedly tried to make off with pilfered lottery tickets and alcohol, along with numerous stolen cigarettes stuffed in his pants.

Police were dispatched around 12:50 a.m. today, July 12, after a commercial alarm was triggered at the Oyama General Store located in the 16000 block of Oyama Road, spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says in a media release.

The alarm company confirmed that multiple alarm sensors were disturbed inside the business and, on arrival, police saw a suspect fleeing from the store, O’Donaghey says.

A containment area was established around the store and a police canine team was called to the scene to conduct a search for the suspect, who was tracked down a short distance away by police service dog Dex and his handler, Cpl. Frank Roberts of the Kelowna RCMP. He was taken into police custody without incident.

“RCMP recovered hundreds of dollars worth of lottery tickets, bottles of liquor, cell phone accessories and lighters stashed nearby,” O’Donaghey says in the release. “We believe our suspect’s escape may have been slowed due to the sheer number of packages of cigarettes concealed in his pants.”

The suspect, a 28-year-old Vernon man, faces potential charges and remains in police custody.

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