RCMP are crediting the persistent efforts by the public for the arrest of a man they believe is responsible for a rash of vehicle break-ins.
John Evan Mathew Wear was arrested Sunday night after a resident spotted a man sitting in his parked truck on Stuart Street.
The 29-year-old former Chilliwack resident has been charged with one count of theft under $5,000.
But police say the investigation is continuing and more charges could be
coming.
In the past three weeks there have been more than 70 reports of vehicle break-ins in
Hope.
Police believed they knew who was responsible, said RCMP Corp. Mike Rail, but had to wait for an opportunity to arrest a suspect.
That chance came because of the regular reports to police by people whose vehicles had been vandalized,
he said.
“Part of the reason we were able to get after him was because of the information we were getting from the public,” Rail said.
“We knew where to be looking and when to be looking.”
Police were on patrol Sunday evening when the truck owner saw a man, dressed in black, inside his vehicle.
The owner chased the man down King Street toward 5th. RCMP Const. Glen Shippit was on patrol in the area when he spotted a man sweating and out of breath.
The man was questioned and arrested as a suspect in the breakin.
John Wear has since been charged, and will remain in custody until his trial.
Corp. Rail emphasized the importance of public involvement in crime prevention. Even minor incidents should be reported to police because they help investigators track trends and identify patterns.
Rail urges Hope residents to call police if they see anything suspicious in their neighbourhood.