A Prince George pickup truck owner became the latest victim of a classic cold weather theft on Thursday morning.
The truck was parked in the driveway of a Cluculz Avenue home with its engine running to warm up the interior, and with the key in the ignition and the owner elsewhere, an opportunistic thief took full advantage, hopping into the vehicle and taking off, only to collide with a utility box on Davie Avenue a couple blocks away, Prince George RCMP said.
The suspect, who was wearing dark pants and a dark hoody, fled the scene and police have been unable to track the person down. They are also on the lookout for a silver Honda Civic from which the suspect was seen exiting before getting behind the pickup's wheel shortly before 8 a.m.
Following the theft, RCMP are reminding drivers to make sure vehicles are secured, even
when warming them up in the morning and are recommending they install remote care starters.
"It only takes a thief a few seconds to jump in a running vehicle and drive away," Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass said.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only), or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) using keyword "pgtips".
