Two more men are facing charges in connection with a string of pickup truck thefts.
Kyle Tony Baraniuk, 24, of Prince George, has been charged with three counts of theft over $5,000, four counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and one count each of theft under $5,000 and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
Michael Ryan Burwell, 32, has been charged with three counts of theft over $5,000, three counts of possession of stolen property and one count each of theft under $5,000 and uttering threats.
Burwell has previously resided in Prince George, but has been in the Okanagan and Edmonton for most of the last several years.
The two were apprehended last weekend when police responded to reports of two stolen pickup trucks - a blue 2001 Ford F350 pick-up truck went missing from Paxton Place home and a white 2004 F350 was taken from Blackburn Road home on the city's east side.
At about 11 a.m. on June 1, the white truck was found abandoned in a wooded area about 1.5 kilometres off Bunce Road, west of the city and a police service dog was used to follow a 1.5-kilometre trail into the back yard of a Purdue Road home where Baraniuk was found.
When Baraniuk refused to comply with police orders, the dog was deployed and "swiftly apprehended the suspect," police said. He was treated at hospital and released back into police custody.
The blue truck was spotted the next day at about 9 p.m. being driven along Blackwater Road. It was pulled over by police, who arrested its 30-year-old female driver. Police then attended a home on Blackwater Road where two male suspects, ages 25 and 26, were arrested and a motorhome stolen in Edmonton was found.
Once again, a police service dog was called in and used to track Burwell from the motorhome to a nearby home.
The arrests follow the apprehension of Dale Al West, 33, of Prince George, and Eric Joseph Heidemann, 23, formerly of Prince George and now living in Quesnel, on May 30 following a series of thefts that started three days before.
Both face one charge each of theft over $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and failing to stop for police. West has also been charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and Heidemann has also been charged with resisting arrest.
