A quartette of crooks were arrested in Merritt this week after committing a string of thefts.
The arrests were made after an RCMP officer witnessed the erratic driving of a truck while sitting in his parked police cruiser on Nicola Avenue on Monday afternoon.
The officer saw a truck hauling a trailer exit the back alley behind the 7-Eleven on Nicola Avenue at a fast rate of speed, losing its levelling jack in the process of making a turn. The driver didn’t stop to retrieve it and the officer pulled over the vehicle.
During the subsequent traffic stop, the officer discovered the truck, license plate and the travel trailer being hauled had all been stolen over the past few days between Alberta and B.C.
The truck and plate were stolen from two separate incidents in Alberta the previous week and the travel trailer was reported stolen in Revelstoke on Friday (Oct. 9).
The four occupants of the vehicle — two 17-year-old females, the 28-year-old male driver and a 26-year-old male passenger, who are all from Alberta — were arrested.
The male passenger has an outstanding Canada wide warrant for drug charges.
Further investigation and reviewing of security camera footage from businesses in town revealed the quartette had spent this past Saturday committing crimes in Merritt.
They were involved in a dine and dash Saturday at a restaurant on Voght Street and stole diesel fuel from a logging truck on Douglas Street that same night.
“They may or may not have been in town between Saturday and Monday,” said RCMP Const. Tracy Dunsmore.
“They might have left town and were coming back through town, we’re not sure, but by the looks of having a stolen truck, a different plate, stolen trailer, dine and dash, siphoning diesel, they may be involved in other crimes around the area.”
Dunsmore said anyone with any information regarding thefts and other crimes over the weekend should contact the police.
All of these incidences are still under investigation and the four suspects remain in custody pending court appearances and charge approval.