NANOOSE BAY – Some sharp-eyed Nanoose bay residents helped police nab a prospective thief.
Oceanside RCMP say they received a call last Thursday about a suspicious looking man on Hillview road trying to open car doors.
According to witnesses, the man then entered a carport, grabbed a Yamaha dirt bike and started pushing it up the road.
When officers arrived, the suspect was still trying to start the motorbike.
The 34-year-old transient with ties to Port Alberni and Kelowna, has a lengthy criminal record and had been released from jail in Victoria the week before.
Oceanside RCMP Corporal Jesse Foreman says the public deserves some credit.
“We are thankful that the residents of the area kept an eye on this suspicious character and called police immediately. We are unsure why this individual was passing through Oceanside, but these types of tourists are not welcome here.”
The suspect remains in custody ahead of a court appearance.