Port Alberni RCMP are searching for thieves who have been targeting vehicles parked at the West Coast Trail.
A black Ford F150 pickup truck was locked and parked at the West Coast Trail parking lot #1 near Bamfield on Wednesday, July 12 while its owners, visiting from Edmonton, left to hike the trail. They returned to their truck on Tuesday, July 18 to find it had been broken into and several personal property items stolen. The stolen property includes a Garmin watch, a Fossil watch, 2 iPads, a wedding ring, HVAC tools, a leather satchel and some other personal items.
On Wednesday, July 19th, RBC advised police that a man and a woman used a bank card belonging to the vehicle’s owner at an ATM in Nanaimo, trying to access funds from the owner’s account. The suspects were successful in their attempts and also tried to conceal their identity with the use of red wigs and sunglasses.
The woman is described as being in her mid-20’s, average build, red hair pulled back. She was wearing a white fringed tank top, jeans, white flip flops, grey ballcap and large dark sunglasses. She wore bright red lipstick and she is a smoker.
The man is described as being in his mid-20’s, slender build, had a dark unshaven beard, long red hair pulled back in a pony tail, wearing a grey hoodie, baggy white pants, yellow running shoes and dark sunglasses.
A second vehicle, a blue Ford F150, also parked at the West Coast Trail parking lot #1 between Saturday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 19, was broken into and two bicycles were stolen out of the locked truck.
Port Alberni RCMP are reminding everyone not to leave any valuables in unattended vehicles and to secure vehicles when they are being left unattended.
Anyone who may have witnessed these thefts or who has information on those responsible, is asked to contact the Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424 or Alberni Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). More photos of the two suspects can be viewed on the Alberni Valley Crime Stoppers webpage.