A fraudulent credit card, $400 worth of meat, and an off-duty cop

VERNON – A pair of people trying to buy hundreds of dollars worth of meat on Valentine’s Day attracted the attention of an off-duty officer.

The individuals, a 31-year-old man from Penticton and a 32-year-old woman, were trying to pay for approximately $400 worth of meat from M&M Meats on Saturday, but the man was having difficulties with the debit card—believed to be fraudulent or stolen.

An off-duty officer picked up on the situation and, feeling something wasn’t right, phoned his on-duty colleagues to check it out.

“From a safe distance he kept an eye on the vehicle (and) waited for the uniformed members to arrive,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says.

Police stopped the suspects at Red Top Grocery and discovered the Jeep Cherokee they were in was reported stolen out of Penticton. Molendyk says the pair was likely going to sell the meat for quick cash.

"(The) suspects chose the wrong store to attempt to use a fraudulent or stolen debit card," Molendyk says. 

The man is being held in custody until Monday, Feb. 16 while the woman was released on a promise to appear in court April 2. Police continue to investigate the file.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.