Six people, including one young offender were arrested by Quadra Island RCMP during two separate crimes sprees this week, including a stolen boat chase.
On Monday, police were alerted to a group of young persons who had recently arrived on Read Island and who had been camping on Lambert’s Beach.
“These folks had set up camp on the beach last week and drew suspicions of the residents,” said Quadra Island RCMP’s Cpl. Shane Worth. “It wasn’t quite adding up for everybody that was living there.”
According to a news release from Quadra Island RCMP, police were further alerted to the possibility that members of this group may have broken in to area residences. The investigation determined that three Read Island residences had been broken into with various items stolen, and the campers were arrested on Read Island on Tuesday morning.
According to the release, the four campers were held in custody and appeared before a Justice of the Peace. The three male adult campers have been remanded in custody facing several property related offences. Their first court appearance is scheduled for Monday in Campbell River Provincial Court. The one female young offender was released from custody and charged with two counts of break and enter and is scheduled to appear in Campbell River Provincial Court on Mon. Nov. 28. The four individuals are from Calgary and Regina.
Then, on Wednesday, Quadra Island RCMP were busy with a series of thefts and break and enters, followed by a stolen boat chase.
According to the release, at about 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Quadra Island RCMP received a report that a Quadra Island resident’s truck had just been stolen from their driveway. The truck was immediately recovered in the parking lot of the Heriot Bay Inn.
However, shortly after the truck was recovered, a second truck was reported stolen from a residence on Cortes Island. Then the report of the stolen truck on Cortes Island was soon followed by reports of break and enters to the Cortes Market and the Squirrel Cove General Store.
According to the release, Cortes Island residents were alerted to the stolen truck and soon located it as it was driven to the Whaletown Government dock. At the dock, the suspects believed to have stolen the Cortes Island truck and who were believed to have committed the break and enters were seen by witnesses stealing a forty foot ex-fishing vessel from a mooring buoy and fleeing Whaletown Harbour. The stolen vessel was followed by witnesses across Sutil Channel.
The stolen vessel was subsequently tracked by police helicopter and the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Cape Palmerston to the Heriot Bay Inn docks where two adult males were immediately arrested by police.
“It was tracked from the air and the water, and subsequently followed to Hariot Bay where two people were arrested without incident,” said Worth.
A significant amount of property believed to have been stolen from the two Cortes Island businesses was recovered from the stolen vessel, according to the release.
The two male suspects appeared before a Justice of the Peace, and were remanded to appear in Campbell River Provincial Court on this coming Monday. The pair, 21- and 26-years-old from Campbell River, are currently charged with theft of vessel, dangerous operation of a vessel, and mischief. This investigation continues, and further charges may be laid, according to the release.
“Property offenses on Quadra Island are few and far between, being a small island a safe island where everybody knows everybody, so it’s very rare to have something like that happen over here,” said Worth. “People here are very cognizant of their neighbours and their surroundings and if something doesn’t look right then they’ll phone the police.”
Quadra Island RCMP ask anyone who has information on these crimes, or who believes they are a victim of theft or break and enter to call the detachment at (250) 285-3631 or toll free at 1-866-888-0088.