2 men arrested by police dog, officers still searching for third suspect

Photo: Kelowna RCMP

Police dog, Mysan

Kelowna RCMP are working to identify a third suspect involved in a gas theft incident Wednesday morning.

Two of men who fled from police during the incident were apprehended by police service dog Mysan.

RCMP responded to a report of gas theft shortly before 4 a.m. Wednesday, that had occurred at a construction site in the area of Highway 33 and Pyman Road.

Police received information that three male suspects driving a U-Haul cube van were filling up large barrels with gas they had stored in the back of the cube van.

Officers attempted to stop the cube van as it left the construction site and the occupants fled from the vehicle on foot. Kelowna RCMP police dog Services assisted in the search for the suspects who fled into the wooded area.

“PDS dog Mysan and his handler tracked the suspects and located two of them who were both found hiding in the woods,” states Cpl. Garfield Henderson of Police Dog Services.

“Both suspects were arrested by the PDS team. The two suspects sustained minor injuries and were treated at hospital. This was a job well-done by Mysan and his handler, who joined the Kelowna Regional RCMP Police Dog Services team in May of 2021.”

A 35-year old man and a 39-year old man are facing charges related to their arrest for theft under $5,000 and flight from police.

The investigation is on-going as police work to identify the third suspect involved in this investigation.

Anyone who may have information regarding this incident and the third suspect involved is urged to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or by leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.