North Van men catch alleged car burglar
An alleged thief is in police custody after being "chased and apprehended" by two men late last night.
Police say the suspect, 18-year-old Willard Lewis of North Vancouver, was arrested around 11 p.m. after two men allegedly found him sitting in the front seat of their pickup truck.
According to a press release, the men were walking back from a local restaurant when they noticed the truck – parked in the area of Chesterfield Rd. and West 3rd St. – had a smashed passenger-side window.
When the men allegedly spotted Lewis, he ran from the vehicle. The two men gave chase and caught him a short distance away. In the meantime, witnesses were able to call police.
Cpl. Peter DeVries, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, said the men's actions may lead to a drop in car break-ins in the area.
"Combating thefts from automobiles is an ongoing battle," said DeVries. "It's usually a small number of people who commit a large number of these crimes, and although we always caution people not to place themselves at risk by trying to stop a criminal, the capture of this alleged thief is great because it likely prevented a series of additional thefts."
William Lewis, 18, of North Vancouver now faces charges of theft, possession of stolen property, mischief, and possession of break-in tools.
ghoekstra@northshoreoutlook.com
twitter.com/greghoekstra
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