Hope man charged in bait car theft
Car thieves, beware.
The bait car program is alive and well throughout the province, and Agassiz is no exception.
“We’ve had some significant successes recently,” said Sgt. Mike McCarthy. “We have bait cars pretty much anytime of the year, and if you steal a car in Agassiz, you’re chances of stealing a bait car are pretty good.”
When a bait car is activated, RCMP know right away. They track the vehicle until they are ready to pull the driver over. At that point, the car is disabled. Video is taken from within the vehicle, along with audio, providing a fairly good amount of evidence for the courts to look at.
“We get a full facial view of the offender,” McCarthy said.
All types of vehicles are used for bait cars, from trucks towing trailers, to older model cars, and they are usually put in areas where there is a history of theft of, or theft from, vehicles.
Police were notified of a bait car activation at about 8 a.m. January 9.
The vehicle had stopped moving in the area of the Garnet Creek Forest Service Road, 13 kilometres west of Hope. RCMP searched the area and found the bait car, but the suspect was gone.
Police dog services were called in for assistance, and the suspect, a 31-year-old Hope man, was found nearby. He was held in custody and was to face a judge this week in Chilliwack Provincial Court.
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