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By Pete McIntyre

‘Brazen’ bike theft has happy ending

Aug 22, 2019 | 9:32 AM

Residents and police worked together to reunite a local teenager with his stolen bicycle.

On Aug. 20 around 6:30 p.m. RCMP responded to a report that a man approached the bike rack at the Vernon Recreation Centre, cut the lock and fled the area on one the bikes.

“This brazen theft took place within a matter of minutes in a busy area within sight of people coming and going from the facility,” Cpl. Tania Finn said in a media release.

A witness immediately advised police of the theft which included a detailed description of the suspect.

“The owner of the bike was located inside the facility and was able to provide police with information specific to the mountain bike,” Finn added.

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Despite numerous patrols that evening by police, the suspect and the stolen bike could not be located.

The following morning, police officers from the Crime Reduction Unit were starting their shift and learned the details of the theft and suspect description.

“Our Crime Reduction Unit immediately recognized the distinct description given for the suspect as an individual they had interaction with this summer. Within a few minutes of hitting the streets, the Crime Reduction Unit located the suspect in an area he was known to frequent and recovered the stolen mountain bike,” Finn said.

The owner of the mountain bike, a local teenager who had saved his money to purchase his bike just this summer, got a call from police advising it was located.

A 31-year-old- man from Alberta was arrested and is currently in custody facing charges of theft under $5,000 and possession of stolen property.

by Pete McIntyre
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