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Theft of purse from vehicle quickly solved
Local Mounties provided a real-time example of how they always get their man to visitors from the United States yesterday.
On August 31, at 7:34 a.m., Elk Valley Regional RCMP responded to a theft in progress at the Morrissey boat launch along Morrissey Road near Fernie.
The complainant reports they were unloading their boat when they heard a car door open and close. The owner went looking and saw her black purse was gone.
The purse contained ID, bank cards and the passports of the complainant and her husband. The owner proceeded to follow a white truck with a B.C. licence plate away from the site as they suspected they were involved in the theft, while calling the RCMP, reported S/Sgt. Svend Nielsen, Elk Valley RCMP Detachment commander.
The owner followed the white truck from the boat launch area to the Mt. Fernie Provincial Park turn off where they stopped following as instructed by the Operational Control Centre.
Officers responded and located the white truck in the downtown Fernie area and both males were questioned, stating they had dropped an “unknown hitchhiker” off near the provincial park.
After leaving the two with the truck, officers attended to the Mt. Fernie Park in an effort to locate some evidence related to offence.
Continuing patrols over the next couple of hours led police to identify a possible suspect vehicle which may be carrying the suspect.
This vehicle was seen by an officer on patrol leaving the park and pulled over just west of the provincial park along Mt. Fernie Park Road, S/Sgt. Neilsen related.
The suspect, a 38-year-old Caucasian man well known to local police, was in the front passenger seat. The officers located the wallet belonging to the victim in the lap of the suspect while being arrested without incident.
A further search incidental to arrest located seven grams of cocaine on his person.
The wallet appeared to contain the passports, ID and other cards belonging to the victim. Police met the victim and these items were returned to her.
The suspect was held in Fernie for a short period, then interviewed by police, and afterward he lead police back to the scene in Mt. Fernie Park and the rest of the belongings of the victim, less cash, were located.
“Elk Valley RCMP express their thanks to members of the public who assisted police during this investigation. The victim in this matter, a visitor from the United States, was extremely happy to have their items returned to them in short order,” S/Sgt. Nielsen said.
If anyone wishes to provide further information on this event, you can contact the Elk Valley RCMP at 250-425-6233 to speak with an officer. Please refer to file 2023-2817. The investigation is going.
Lead image: The Morrissey boat launch is located on the northwest side of the Morrissey Bridge crossing the Elk River, 16 km west of Fernie. e-KNOW file photo
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