A man has been charged in a September 19 car-jacking incident on Eastside Road near Penticton.

Penticton RCMP spokesperson Const. James Grandy said in a press release issued this afternoon, Dec.31, Jesse William Shawcross, age 36, is alleged to have flagged down two vehicles along Eastside Road on Sept.19, threatening to use a firearm. He stole one of the victim’s vehicles. The victims were not harmed and called 911.

Shawcross is also believed to have stolen a truck from Oliver that was later observed near the 1000 block of Eckhardt Avenue West in Penticton.

The Targeted Enforcement Unit along with other officers converged on the area, locating the truck in a nearby parking lot.

Police were able to confirm Shawcross’ identity before he attempted to evade them by crashing through the parking lot, damaging several cars in the process, including the stolen truck.

Shawcross fled on foot and violently resisted police who chased him and eventually arrested him, police said.

Shawcross was linked to 11 other offences at the time of his arrest, but police could not link him to the robberies until Penticton’s General Investigative Section gathered further evidence linking him to those crimes.

Thirteen additional charges were laid against Shawcross on Dec. 30, including robbery with a firearm.

He has also been charged with:

theft of five vehicles
flight from police
dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
resisting arrest
assault with a weapon
break and enter
uttering threats
driving while prohibited
possessing a controlled substance
possession of stolen property
breach of a probation order
robbery with a firearm (2 counts)

"Our officers took the safety of our communities into paramount consideration while using all available resources, both investigative and physical, while searching for this accused. Right from the beginning, our members worked tirelessly to try and locate and bring this crime spree to a safe and accountable resolve. These events employed a number of RCMP resources including the RCMP helicopter, Police Dog Services, plainclothes and uniformed officers from several Detachments within the South Okanagan," Const. Grandy said.

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