Keepsake items returned after police nab tack thief
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On Monday, June 6 at approximately 3:30pm the Williams Lake RCMP responded to a theft involving an auto at the Stampede Grounds.
The mature complainant observed a male break into her car by smashing a window. As the suspect was rummaging through her car, the complainant confronted the suspect, which led to a foot chase, during which the suspect dropped the stolen property and fled the scene.
“I was at the Stampede Grounds with my niece riding in the arena at around 1:00pm, and saw a guy standing at the north end watching us ride,” said Laurie Brown. At around 2:15 she said an RCMP officer approached her while she was riding, gave her a woman’s name and asked if Laurie was acquainted with her. “I said I wasn't sure,” she explained.
(Photo: Box stalls and tack rooms at the Williams Lake Trail Riders Club where the theft occurred.)
“When I went to my tack room, which is in the first row of stalls between the indoor and outdoor arena, I saw that all my bridles, halters, reins, brushes, and a very expensive set of clippers were gone.” She said that the first thing she noticed missing was a bridle belonging to a horse she'd had to put down just the week before after he didn't respond to medical treatment. “It was a keepsake,” she said.
Laurie said she went around the front of the arena, found an RCMP car on scene checking out the car that had been broken into, and described her tack that had been stolen.
“The older woman who owned the car told me she had heard her car window smash, saw the guy breaking into her car and threw a rock at him—she thinks she hit him,” Laurie continued.
Thanks to a very detailed description of the suspect by the complainant the RCMP located him a short distance away. The suspect was arrested and found to be in possession of stolen property, including the majority of what was taken from Ms. Brown's tack room. The suspect is not from Williams Lake. However, he is well known to police in different areas of the province and in Alberta. Williams Lake RCMP will be recommending charges of Break and Enter, Theft Under $5,000, and Possession of Stolen Property Under $5,000 and will request that he remain in custody.
“There are a lot of those types of guys hanging around down there,” she continued. “When they used to burn the bushes, the ‘troopers’ would leave, but now they live there and sleep there and go down to the barns for water.”
“This really gave me a wake-up call not to leave any valuables in my car or truck, not to leave my vehicle out of my sight and not to leave things unlocked,” Laurie noted. “You can’t get insurance for tack on the Stampede Grounds as it is. "I am thankful to have had my tack returned."
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