Oliver RCMP on Tuesday arrested two people and recovered three stolen vehicles, with the driver of one attempting to dangerously evade police before being taken into custody.
Police say they recovered three stolen vehicles on Nov. 19.
Two people from Oliver, a 26-year-old female and 39-year-old male, were later arrested after police recovered the stolen truck they were driving. Police say the female was arrested on charges of stolen property, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, and assault of a police officer.
The male was arrested on outstanding warrants for break-and-enter and mischief, they added.
Before the arrests were made, however, police say they recovered two other stolen vehicles.
The first, a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup, was recovered by RCMP on Leighton Crescent in Oliver after being stolen earlier in the day in Penticton.
Shortly after, police received a regarding the sighting of a 1999 Ford F350 pickup truck that had been stolen from the North Okanagan in September. The vehicle was later recovered on McKinney Road in Oliver.
While searching for the second vehicle, however, RCMP spotted a 2007 Ford F350 pickup truck driving on Oliver's Tucelnuit Drive and recognized it to be stolen.
According to police, attempts were made to stop the truck but the female driver "evaded police, at one point driving directly at and nearly striking one officer," a media release states.
The vehicle was located later in the day in Okanagan Falls, where the female driver and male passenger abandoned the vehicle and left on foot. The two were safely taken into custody, police said.
"Police have seen an uptick in theft of vehicles as well as theft from vehicles throughout the South Okanagan," said Sgt. Jason Bayda of the South Okanagan RCMP.
"We can鈥檛 stress enough the importance of locking your vehicles and to not leave any valuables inside," Bayda said. "As we enter into the colder weather we would also like to remind people to refrain from leaving your vehicles unoccupied when warming them up. Simply put, a running and unoccupied vehicle is an easy target."
