One in custody following crime spree

One person has been arrested following a crime spree in Prince George on the weekend that included a vehicle colliding with two police vehicles.

At about 2:30 p.m. Saturday the Prince George RCMP received a report of a theft of a flat deck trailer from at address on Highway 97 in the Hart area.  The trailer was stolen sometime earlier in the day and is valued at approximately $10,000.

At about 7:15 p.m., the Prince George RCMP received information that the trailer was being towed south bound on Highway 97 approaching the John Hart Bridge.  The stolen trailer now had a side-by-side UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) in it and was being towed by a blue Ford F-350 pickup truck.

The truck and trailer pulled off the highway and onto Commercial Crescent where police attempted to stop the vehicle.  The F-350 collided with a police car and took off east on Tenth Avenue running a red light at Highway 97.  For the safety of the public, police did not pursue.

Shortly after, the suspect was observed driving into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of 15^th Avenue from Freeman Street. 

Just after 8 p.m., police attempted to stop a white Ford F-350 pick-up without licence plates on Highway 16 approximately 100 metres west of the junction with Highway 97.  The driver failed to stop and collided with a police vehicle, causing the pickup to get stuck on a snow bank.  The male driver fled on foot towards the Prince George Playhouse, where an event was taking place.  The suspect ignored police commands to stop.  A police service dog was deployed to assist with the arrest.  The suspect continued to resist police efforts to arrest him, but was subsequently taken into custody.  He was in possession of pepper spray and edged weapons at the time of his arrest.

At about the same time, police located what’s believed to be the UTV in an alley adjacent to Farrell Street, off Queensway.  While investigating, police were advised by a local resident that his Ford F-350 pickup had been stolen.  His pickup was confirmed to be the pickup that was recovered on Highway 16 minutes earlier. 

The first Ford F-350 pickup and the stolen trailer were located and recovered on La Salle Avenue, a few blocks away from the UTV.  That pickup was found to have been stolen in Dawson Creek January 6.

Police believe the same suspect is responsible for all of these thefts.

The 35-year-old man from Dawson Creek will likely be held in custody at least until he makes his first appearance in Provincial Court on Monday.  He is well known to police in Prince George and is expected to face multiple Criminal Code charges.  At the time of his arrest, he had multiple warrants out of Dawson Creek.

The suspect was taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries as a result of bite wounds.  Fortunately, the officers involved in the collisions were uninjured.

Although the UTV has not yet been reported stolen, police believe it to be.  It is described as a red and white Polaris RZR.  Police are asking the owners of similar UTVs to check to see if it has been stolen.  If it has, please immediately call the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300.