Two young Quebec men have been arrested and charged in connection with a string of high-end mountain bike thefts in the village.
Nineteen-year-old Jonathan Roy and 20-year-old Mario Martin were arrested by local police on Thursday, Sept. 22.
They were charged this week in a North Vancouver court.
Last Thursday police were alerted after a $6,000 mountain bike was stolen from the base of Whistler Mountain.
A witness relayed information to police and subsequently police found a car with the stolen mountain bike protruding from the trunk. They arrested Martin, who was driving, and Roy, who was the passenger.
After getting a search warrant for the Emerald Estates residence of the two men, police found a stash of bikes, high-end bike parts, snowboards and power tools they believed were stolen.
There were eight bikes at the home estimated to be worth between $2,000 and $10,000.
Police so far have identified six bikes as stolen. Those will be returned to their owners.
The incident, said police, is a reminder for everyone to take the necessary precautions with their bikes.
"Although this investigation resulted in arrests, people are reminded to lock their bikes, even if left unattended for a short period of time," said spokesperson Constable Devon Jones, in a press release. "This investigation is also a good illustration of why it is important for people (to) keep a record of their serial numbers."
In their press release police thanked the witnesses and staff at Whistler-Blackcomb for their cooperation and accurate information, which ultimately lead to the arrests.
The two men have been charged with several counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and theft of stolen property over $5,000.
