Updated 5:16 p.m., October 25th:
A 29-year old man, arrested in connection with a lengthy crime spree from Quesnel to Alexandria yesterday (Monday), has now been charged.
Ronald Jack Peebles is facing one count of theft of a motor vehicle at this point, although more charges are possible.
Peebles is due back in court on Thursday for a bail hearing.
Quesnel RCMP say a truck was stolen from a motel on Front Street and was then used to attempt to steal a boat and a boat motor from the Lakeview Crescent area, and a UTV from a rural property in Alexandria.
RCMP say the stolen vehicle then crashed and rolled several times along Highway 97, and that the driver then stole another truck from a bystander who had stopped to help.
The driver is then accused of driving to a nearby property and stealing a Quad before crashing it as well down a steep embankment.
Police say he wasn’t done there however, as the suspect then swam across the Fraser River, but was met by RCMP members on the other side.
Police are still investigating this incident and are looking for witnesses, including anyone who might have some dash cam video.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Quesnel RCMP. (250-992-9211)
Original Story:
Several charges are pending after Quesnel RCMP made three arrests yesterday (Monday), but it wasn’t easy.
Staff Sergeant Richard Weseen says the original call came in at around 6-20 a.m. for a report of a stolen truck from a motel off of Front Street.
He says an hour later that same vehicle was reportedly being used to attempt to steal a boat and boat trailer from the Lakeview Crescent area.
“However, the thieves failed to properly attach the trailer to the hitch and as they were making their escape the trailer became unattached and was located in a nearby yard.”
Half an hour later, Weseen says a third call came in where the stolen vehicle was attempting to steal a UTV from a rural property in the Alexandria area.
“The homeowner noticed the thieves attempting to steal the UTV and tried to intervene. During that intervention the suspect vehicle collided with the homeowner’s vehicle, drove through a fence, and then went south on Highway 97.”
Weseen says the homeowner continued to follow the stolen truck and then a second minor collision occurred at a rest stop on the highway.
“The stolen truck then went northbound again while being followed by the homeowner, and it lost control as it tried to negotiate a turn onto a driveway to a field and rolled several times in the ditch.”
Weseen says two of the suspects were injured in the rollover, but he says the driver wasn’t finished yet.
“The third suspect, as bystanders stopped to help, stole a Dodge 3500 welding truck from one of the bystanders, and fled southbound on the highway.
The vehicle was located hiding behind a building on a property in Alexandria.
As police approached the vehicle, the vehicle sped off and narrowly missed one of the RCMP members.”
Weseen says it then entered a property within one kilometre of that area.
“The driver exited the stolen truck and stole a Quad from that property. The quad fled across the field, drove through a barbed wire fence, and then rolled down a steep embankment several times.”
Weseen says police set up containment in the area, and with the use of a police service dog and an RCMP helicopter the suspect was trapped, but even then he didn’t give up.
“He was located swimming across the Fraser River. He was getting exhausted trying to fight the current, but he did make it to the other side and was taken into custody.”
Weseen says the two suspects injured in the original accident were transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
He says the third suspect was also taken to hospital for symptoms of hypothermia.
–Files by George Henderson, My Cariboo Now