A 28-year-old Burnaby man faces more charges after being caught by police in a stolen vehicle for the second time in less than a month.
Last Wednesday at about 6:45 p.m., officers on patrol in the 5800 block of Olive Avenue spotted a vehicle coming towards them and quickly determined the licence plate was stolen, according to a Burnaby RCMP news release.
The officers tried to stop the vehicle with emergency equipment and blocked it in, the release said, but the driver didn’t surrender until after he had collided with a police vehicle while trying to escape.
He was taken into custody, and further investigation revealed the vehicle had been stolen from a Coquitlam residence. The licence plate had been stolen from a residence in Burnaby, police said.
Police seized a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, 12-gauge shotgun shells, a prohibited switchblade, numerous electronic devices, bear spray, keys to several different vehicles, over $700 cash and several pieces of identification belonging to another person, according to the release.
Also seized were suspected methamphetamine, fentanyl, unknown pills and other drug paraphernalia.
The driver now faces 15 charges related to weapons, drug trafficking, identification possession and several condition breaches.
Snoozing in stolen SUV
Four weeks earlier, on Sept. 24, the same man had been caught sleeping in a stolen SUV that had drawn the attention of local residents after it had stood idling in the same spot for three hours, according to police.
That vehicle had been stolen out of West Vancouver and had a stolen licence plate from Coquitlam.
During that call, police seized cannabis, suspected methamphetamine, an imitation firearm, two prohibited switchblade knives, a digital scale and over $1,400.
“This is a great example of the work being done by our drug section in disrupting the supply of dangerous drugs to our city,” said Insp. Matt Toews of the most recent arrest. “Our officers used their experience to ensure that this person was safely taken into custody and the loaded firearm is now off our streets.”
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
Email cnaylor@burnabynow.com
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