The victim of a theft of a generator from a home in Cultus Lake followed the suspect, who was later nabbed by police.
But police are advising the public that it is "never a good idea to take the law into their own hands."
"With the firearms that were (found) in the vehicle, this could have been a very different situation," said RCMP Const. Tracy Wolbeck.
Police said they received the theft report early Monday morning, and were able to catch up to the suspect vehicle and deploy a spike belt on Interprovincial Road.
The suspect stopped before hitting the belt, but a police dog team was able to arrest the male suspect without incident.
Police said a search of the vehicle uncovered the stolen generator - plus several firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
The 22-year-old suspect, an Abbotsford man, is facing several weapons-related charges.
"This was a really great stop by our members," Wolbeck said. "Any time we can get guns off the street, it is a good thing."