Suspects believed to have used weapons, may be tied to more car-parts thefts: Vancouver police
Police believe the suspects charged with one count each of theft are linked to several more similar crimes in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Police Department announced Wednesday that two men had been charged with theft and mischief in relation to the thefts of catalytic converters.
It's an ongoing problem in the region. A loophole allows these parts to be sold at scrapyards without identification, unlike with regulated metals. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/gap-in-metal-recycling-law-allows-criminals-to-sell-catalytic-converters-without-id-as-reports-of-thefts-surge-1.5509330
While police didn't give an update Wednesday into the total known thefts of the specific car part this year, there had been 195 reports by the end of June, more than double the number reported in the same six months of 2020.
In a news release announcing the latest arrests, police said they'd been notified of 18 catalytic converter thefts over the last seven days in the city, and police in other jurisdictions have also reported increases.
The investigation into the men who were recently charged, 27-year-old Tyson Fust and 50-year-old Richard Mantler, began back in July.
Police called them "prolific" suspects, and said they believe the men are involved in several thefts, though they've each only been charged with one.
According to the VPD, the investigation is ongoing, and detectives have "hopes" to connect their suspects with other incidents.
As has been the case in some of the reported thefts, the men whose arrests were just announced are accused of more than just taking the car parts.
"In addition to the thefts, investigative techniques revealed these two suspects were also stealing licence plates and using weapons, such as bear spray, during the commission of the offences," Const. Tania Visintin said in a news release.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.