Vancouver man arrested after asking plain-clothed officers to help him steal a car

A Vancouver man got more than he bargained for this week when he inadvertently asked plain-clothed police officers to help him steal a car.

VPD Sgt. Tania Visintin told Daily Hive the incident happened in the area of East 1st Avenue and Cassiar Street, while the two officers were on patrol around 2 am.

According to VPD, the man was first noticed by two plain-clothes officers who saw him “looking into several vehicles.”

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The man eventually approached the two officers as they were standing on a street corner and “asked if the officers knew how to steal a car and if they would be willing to help him steal one, or if they had a ‘punch’ tool he could borrow,” police said. The man reportedly also asked the officers “if they had ever thought about robbing a jewellery store, as he had heard you get a lot of money, and he wanted some white diamonds.”

The officers then observed the man unsuccessfully try to enlist others to help him in his quest to steal a car. He was arrested a short time later for trying to break into five vehicles, and damaging one.

Now, charges of one count of mischief under $5,000 and five counts of breach of probation have been recommended against the 38-year-old suspect, police said.