Pair faces multiple charges after crime spree across southeast B.C.

MERRITT — Two people have been arrested following an alleged crime spree that involved RCMP in jurisdictions across the southeast of British Columbia.

RCMP reported today (Sept. 22, 2016) that just before 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, RCMP in Merritt were called to a local gas station after a man and woman had allegedly tried to purchase items using a stolen credit card. They had left in an Audi without the items they were trying to buy, and before police could arrive.

At 11 a.m., RCMP in Logan Lake were called to a similar incident that had occurred about 9 a.m., where, once again, a man and woman were trying to pay for items using a stolen credit card. The couple departed in a late model Audi with almost $200 in unpaid goods and gas.

At about 6:30 p.m. the same evening, the Audi was spotted by Logan Lake RCMP on Highway 5. When police attempted to stop the vehicle, it sped away, reaching speeds of more than 200 km/hr as it approached Hope.

The following day, just before 3 p.m., an RCMP officer in Merritt spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it on Highway 8 near Highway 97. Once again the vehicle failed to stop and fled through Merritt toward Kamloops.

The Audi was located on Highway 97D travelling toward Logan Lake and was followed by police after leaving a gas station onto highway 97, where once again attempts were made to stop it prior to entering Ashcroft. Those attempts failed.

At about 5:15 on Nov. 19, a police dog service officer spotted the Audi leaving Ashcroft and, from a distance, followed it back to Logan Lake. “Prior to conducting one final traffic stop, local detachments worked co-operatively to contain the Audi and to mitigate the risk to the public,” said Chief Sup. Brad Haugli, the Southeast RCMP District Commander.

Once in position to do so, the officer conducted a vehicle stop which resulted in the arrest of a 29-year-old female and a 28-year-old male, both of Chilliwack. The woman has been release from custody, and is expected to appear in court in March of 2017, while the man remains in custody and is to appear in court later today. Both will face a variety of traffic and criminal offences, Haugli said.