RCMP say a man was bearsprayed early Wednesday morning after discovering someone breaking into his work van.
An employee of Chilliwack’s Bulldog Stone was leaving for work around 5:40 a.m. when he saw the van door was ajar, and a truck was parked behind him. He checked the back of the van to see if it was open and then grabbed his phone to take a picture of the truck.
Two people were in the truck.
When he got his phone and turned around, one of them bearsprayed him, trying to prevent him from getting a picture.
The incident happened in the 5500-block of Highroad Crescent in Promontory.
The suspect, described by police as a Caucasian male, six feet tall wearing a baseball cap and white COVID mask, had already nabbed two grinders from the van, plus a company credit card that was left there by mistake.
He got into a Ford F150 single-cab long-box pickup truck and drove off, accompanied by a Caucasian female.
While the RCMP file didn’t have a colour listed, Facebook posts said the truck was white.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail said the truck didn’t have any licence plate on it, and police weren’t able to find it.
The victim was cared for by B.C. Ambulance Services, and the stolen credit card was shut down after the thieves made purchases at McDonald’s and a gas station.
Rail said the victim did the right thing calling police immediately. He recommends avoiding direct interaction with suspects where possible and instead trying to get a description and take pictures with a phone of any suspicious activity.
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