A beige 2003 Ford F250 pickup truck was stolen from a home along the 700 block of Barclay Crescent in French Creek Monday night at approximately 7:30 p.m., police confirmed.
According to Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Forman, the owner of the stolen vehicle has accounted for both sets of keys leading police to believe the suspect tampered with the ignition to steal the truck.
Foreman said Monday's brazen theft appears to be part of a string of stolen vehicles plaguing Parksville Qualicum Beach and the surrounding rural areas over the last few weeks.
He said two thefts of Ford F250 or F350s were reported over the holidays and another one was recovered from another area where it had been stolen. This follows a rash of vehicle thefts last summer where four Fords were stolen.
He said it appears the suspect(s) are specifically targeting Ford F250 and Ford F350 trucks in model years ranging from the late 1990s to early 2000s.
"Normally vehicle thieves have a brand of choice," Foreman told The NEWS.
He said police currently do not have any suspects. An investigation is ongoing.
The British Columbia licence plate number of the truck stolen earlier this week is AN8230. The diesel, crew cab pickup truck has many custom modifications including a four inch lift kit, 35 inch tires with 16 inch polished rims, over fenders, an extra large black rear bumper, large and loud exhaust and a 12 inch LED light bar bolted to the front bumper.
If you have any information regarding this theft please contact Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111 or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.