Whistler RCMP’s bait-bike program has claimed another suspect, this time a Vancouver man well known to police.
In the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 27, police said the “prolific” 43-year-old thief snatched a bait bike strategically placed along Northlands Boulevard.
Officers caught up with the suspect at the corner of Village Gate Boulevard and Highway 99 after he fled the scene.
"The Whistler RCMP patrol watches did a fantastic job at coordinating with the dispatcher, getting updates on the location of the suspect and safely apprehending him," Blain said.
The man now faces possible charges of theft, possession of stolen property, and possession of break-in tools.
The Whistler RCMP’s bait-bike program has been running for several years now, and Blain said the detachment has ramped up its efforts this summer.
“We’re going to keep on having those bikes out there, and now we have (purchased) even more bikes, so we can be anywhere,” she added.
Woman remorseful after spraying dogs with bear mace
A woman visiting Cerise Creek near Pemberton this weekend admitted to overreacting when she sprayed a pair of dogs with bear mace, police said.
The woman was near Keith’s Hut south of Duffey Lake Road on Saturday, Aug. 26 when the dogs, an Australian shepherd and a husky, approached her and her dogs barking.
“We were sitting by a lake, they walked up with their two dogs off-leash, and our dogs ran up barking, just as dogs do,” said Whistler’s Jessie Morden, who owns one of the dogs that was sprayed.
Morden said the dogs were “not even a little bit” aggressive at the time. “We were literally two feet away from grabbing the dogs, and she looked at us, made eye contact and unleashed the can of bear mace,” she said.
Blain with the Whistler RCMP said the woman eventually expressed remorse, admitting she was “scared” of the dogs and reacted in the heat of the moment. She agreed to pay for the grooming costs of Morden’s dog.
Morden added that she and her friend also had burns “all over” their bodies.
No charges will be pursued, police said.
“Now it’s been taken care of and I’ve forgiven her and she’s expressed remorse,” said Morden. “But just for people in the future, you don’t bear-mace a domestic animal. That’s just not something you do.”
Thousands of dollars worth of clothes stolen from village store
Whistler RCMP is asking for help identifying a man who is suspected of shoplifting thousands of dollars worth of clothes from a village store, police said.
The male suspect allegedly stole several high-end jackets from a local sporting goods store, Blain said.
He’s described as Caucasian, approximately six-feet tall, weighing 200 pounds and wearing blue jeans, a green jacket, and a grey and white hat with white shoes and a large black backpack.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044, or Sea to Sky Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
