After a game of cat and mouse that led West Shore RCMP throughout Colwood and Langford, two individuals have been arrested thanks to the help of the public.
A concerned citizen contacted the local detachment at around 6 a.m. Wednesday, after two men in a silver pickup truck appeared to be checking out vehicles on Bidwell Place in Colwood. One of the men removed a licence plate from a parked vehicle before the two left the area.
A patrol officer was able to locate the suspicious truck, thanks to a detailed description, and attempted to stop the pickup on Luxton Road near Sooke Road. However, the suspects fled the scene.
Another RCMP officer later spotted the vehicle on Walfred Road, driving towards him. The officer attempted to block the road but the suspect was able to drive around him and fled again.
A short while later, a member of the public, who had witnessed the suspects fleeing from police earlier, recognized the truck as it pulled in front of him on Jacklin Road in Langford. Police were alerted and were able to close in on the suspects on Langford Parkway.
The two suspects fled on foot and attempted to car-jack a motorist, who had stopped on the side of the road. The driver was able to lock his doors and safely drive away from the suspects.
The two men, 41-year-old John Shaw of Mill Bay and 30-year-old Daynen Giese of Duncan, were caught after a brief foot chase and were taken into custody. Shaw had an outstanding warrant for the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle from April 25.
“Those alert citizens were a major role in the apprehension of these two dangerous suspects,” Const. Alex Bérubé, spokesperson of the West Shore RCMP, said in a release. “This is just another great example on how the public can help us protect our communities.”