On Saturday, June 7, at approximately 7:50 p.m., a complainant observed that five minutes prior she had observed a few bike locks cut near the Railyard Dog Park in Fernie.

The witness further observed and took a photo of three persons loading a black E-bike into the back of a green van and driving away in a rush. A partial licence plate was seen in the photo.

One officer directed the other officers working to contain Highway 3 in both directions in order to locate the van. The investigator further noted that the vehicle plate involved appeared to be bent, which obscured one of the letters.

The officer queried the plate systematically and came back with a match, confirming the vehicle was registered out of Cranbrook. While this was ongoing, the owner of the black E-bike also contacted police, reported S/Sgt. Svend Nielsen, Elk Valley RCMP Detachment commander.

A short time later, the officer assigned to patrol the westbound traffic along Highway 3 located the suspect van driving near Elko. A traffic stop was initiated and all three persons inside the van were arrested.

Three bicycles, one of which was the E-bike reported stolen just minutes before, were located in the back of the van during a search incidental to arrest. It is worth noting that the suspects were already in the process of breaking the bicycles down for part sales while leaving the area, S/Sgt. Nielsen said.

Evidence gathered led police to believe that all three persons, all from Cranbrook and all well known to police, made a collaborative effort to steal the bikes and so each person was arrested and released on Undertakings with a number of conditions, one of which included a no go to Fernie unless travelling along Highway 3 or attending court.

The E-bike was returned to the rightful owner on the same date. On June 8, a second person came forward having reported their bike stolen and, by description, another of the stolen bikes was able to be returned to the rightful owner.

The remaining bike, a BMX style with a visible serial number, is still in police custody and its owner can contact Elk Valley Regional RCMP at 250-425-6233 to claim it after providing the appropriate and matching information.

“Elk Valley Regional RCMP would like to thank the quick-thinking complainant who reported the theft in progress in such a timely manner, allowing police to complete a thorough investigation and to locate the three stolen bikes in possession of the thieves and also return two of three to their rightful owners,” S/Sgt. Nielsen said. “Our investigation is ongoing. File 2025-1682 refers.”

e-KNOW file photo

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