An off-duty mountie with the Nanaimo RCMP caught a man stealing gas from a Boys and Girls Club vehicle on Saturday.
At around 6:30 a.m. on the morning of November 19th, the off-duty officer witnessed suspicious activity in the parking lot of the Boys and Girls Club on Cranberry Avenue.
According to police, the officer drives the same route every day and always keeps an eye on the property as he passes by to ensure no one tampers with the non-profit organization’s vehicles.
Police say on Saturday he noticed an individual crouched low near a vehicle belonging to the organization. He noticed that beside this individual was a hose coming out of the vehicle’s gas tank.
The off-duty officer then reportedly drove toward this individual who realized he had been seen and tried to flee the scene.
According to police, the off-duty officer parked and set off on foot to give chase to the suspect.
Police say that after a short pursuit on foot and a brief struggle, the man was apprehended.
“Thieves have hit the Boys and Girls Club hard in recent years from petty thefts to siphoning of gas,” said R/Cst. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
“Hopefully this arrest will set the tone amongst other criminals that their property is not for the taking, and is meant for the kids they support.”
Following his arrest and processing via Nanaimo RCMP, the 53-year-old man was released with a future court date for the charge of theft under $5,000.
