Two local prolific offenders are in custody following a bait car theft from late March.
Mathew Christopher Nicholls, 37, and Samantha June Nelles, 25, both of Chilliwack are charged in connection with the thef from March 24 at approximately 3:30 a.m. when Chilliwack RCMP were alerted to an alarm triggered from a bait vehicle parked near Reece Avenue and Robson Street.
Frontline general duty officers supported by the Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Service (IPDS) responded to the area where officers quickly located the vehicle abandoned on Hodgins Avenue near Edward Street.
But despite patrols by police, the two were not found.
Evidence, however, linking Nicholls and Nelles to the stolen bait vehicle collected by Chilliwack Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) investigators led to the arrests of the suspects by the Priority Offender Suppression Team (POST) on March 26.
Nicholls is charged with theft of a motor vehicle and mischief, while Nelles is charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 and mischief.
Both remain in custody. Nicholls was in court on April 10 and is next due via video on April 23, while Nelles is due via video appearance on April 16.
Both have extensive criminal records and numerous charges in Chilliwack, mostly over the last three years.
“The bait car program is co-ordinated by the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) and is an effective tool in combating auto theft in our region,” said Chilliwack RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail. “Bait cars containing bait property are parked in areas identified as high risk for auto crime.”
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