A would-be thief in West Vancouver was arrested this week while trying to make his escape on a paddleboard.
The decidedly West Coast drama started at around 6:30 p.m. Monday, when someone broke into a home in the 2900 block of Rosebery Avenue in West Vancouver’s Altamont neighbourhood, setting off an alarm. The break-in artist was captured on surveillance video from the home.
Shortly after officers arrived, neighbours began calling police to report a suspicious man - who matched the video description - going through their backyards.
A West Vancouver police officer spotted the suspect, but he escaped on a bicycle. He was later spied entering the backyard of a waterfront home on Marine Drive, then seen heading out to sea on a paddleboard.
In his haste to escape, however, the suspect neglected to grab a paddle, a move that likely hindered his getaway.
The Vancouver Police Department’s marine unit was called and put a quick end to the watery escape.
The man was arrested and faces charges of theft and break and enter.
