VPD Canine Unit nabs car thief for second time in four months

A Vancouver man has been arrested for attempting to steal one particular car for the second time in the last four months, with police dogs needing to be called in both times.

The first incident happened back in May of this year, when a woman living near the 2400 block of East 19^th Avenue reported to police that her car had been stolen from her home. Police investigated and, ten days later, located the missing car and arrested the suspected thief with the help of a police dog.

However, it appears the alleged thief found a way to keep hold of the car’s keys despite the arrest and, thinking he’d have better luck the second time around, tried once again to steal the car.

He was, seemingly, more successful this time around as the owner of the car reported to police that she believed someone had been taking her car out overnight before returning it in the morning. In response, Vancouver Police staked out the car and watched as they witnessed a young man attempt to steal the car.

When police attempted to arrest the man, he, along with two other suspects, tried to make a run for it. The primary suspect was immediately taken into custody, but the other two managed to escape. A police dog team was called in and tracked the pair to the back deck of a home where they were hiding about a block away.

Upon his arrest, Vancouver Police came to the realization that the thief was the same individual arrested and charged in the original theft back in May.

All three suspects, two young men from Vancouver and a young woman from Surrey, are young offenders, and the men are known to police.

Luckily for the car owner, the keys were recovered this time, preventing the idea of “third time’s the charm”.

Featured Image: K9 Police Officer with his dog via Shutterstock