Vehicle Thieves Face Justice in Boundary Country Following Multiple Police Hunts

It may not the the brightest idea to steal a motor vehicle in Boundary Country.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the area responded to a car theft in late July. Heating things up, the driver and his companion initially fled when confronted by officers. 

“When police officers attempted to stop the vehicle and its occupants, the stolen vehicle fled from police,” an official statement read.

The car, which originated from the Kelowna area, was later abandoned near an embankment in the village of Midway.

“Midway RCMP officers were able to locate the stolen vehicle near an embankment in the area of Florence Street and Fritz Road,” confirmed the report.

Midway RCMP arrested two suspects the next day. Officers reminded residents of the area “to be vigilant and to report any suspicious persons or activities to police right away.”

Barely a month later, someone else tried a similar trick in the region.

In August, Grand Forks RCMP responded to a truck theft in Christina Lake. A social media alert suggesting the stolen truck was heading out of town on Highway 3 helped officers track down the truck. They utilized a spike belt and multiple vehicles to corral the driver into a ditch, where 41-year-old Michael Scott Miller was taken into custody without incident.

Just east of Greenwood, it was clear that the stolen truck was not stopping and members deployed a spike belt in an attempt to stop the stolen truck. The truck ran over the belt, but continued on into Greenwood. The officers were then able to catch back up to the truck and safely guide the stolen truck off the road which struck a ditch and came to rest on its side.Report from Grand Forks RCMP 

“This was an exceptional response between two different detachments and our dispatch operators in Kelowna to coordinate this matter and apprehend the suspect,” stated Detachment Commander Sergeant Darryl Peppler.

Oliver resident Miller, who had two outstanding warrants for his arrest out of Kamloops and Surrey, faces multiple charges ranging from Possession of Stolen Property to breaches of previous release orders.

“Everything came together quickly allowing us to apprehend a suspect during the commission of a crime and bring them before the courts,” Sergeant Peppler said.