Foot Pursuit Nabs Suspected Thief in Merritt

A RCMP officer is never really off duty. This morning in Merritt, an alleged thief found that out the hard way when he interrupted the Mountie’s breakfast by setting off a car alarm and a foot chase ensued.

This morning, shortly after 6 a.m., the Merritt RCMP received a call from a citizen reporting a man in a black hoodie breaking into vehicles in the 1700-block of Menzies Street.

An off duty officer living in the area, was notified of the call while eating his morning breakfast and at the same time heard a car alarm go off outside. He looked out his window and saw the man in the black hoodie running from a vehicle. With his toast in hand, he threw on his boots and took up chase.

A lengthy foot pursuit ensued, down the street, through yards and over fences. The officer eventually caught up to the suspect, tackled him to the ground and took him into custody.

The suspect has been identified as a well-known prolific offender from Merritt. The results of the investigation will be submitted to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of appropriate charges.

Sgt. Josh Roda of the Merritt RCMP states, “This goes to show, not even the tasty piece of toast can outweigh the satisfaction of catching a thief for a Mountie!”

Residents who may have been a victim of a vehicle break-in overnight are asked to call the Merritt RCMP immediately before touching the vehicle.