Third time’s the charm for Oceanside RCMP.
Local police have arrested a man they’re calling a “prolific offender” after the man evaded arrest twice in a stolen white van.
The suspect, who is “well known to police,” according to an RCMP news release, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance on March 27.
That was five days after RCMP had first tried to pull over a suspicious white van in Parksville. The driver got away at a high rate of speed. Police later confirmed that the van had been stolen from a business in Errington on March 17 when the owners were out of town.
RCMP located the van again on March 23, but the driver avoided apprehension once more, “making a traffic stop too dangerous too attempt,” according to the news release.
The next day, police found the van abandoned in Errington, allowing them to gather forensic evidence that pointed to the 50-year-old Qualicum man.
The suspect was located in Whiskey Creek the evening of March 24 and was arrested without incident.
— NEWS Staff/RCMP release