Mounties are going through “several hundred exhibits” after seizing stolen property from two suspects in Grand Forks earlier this week.
“RCMP have already returned some property to rightful owners,” said a Grand Forks RCMP press release on Friday, adding police “believe the suspects are responsible for other offences in Cranbrook, Nelson and Castlegar.
On Wednesday the Star reported that police were looking at a link between the arrest of the two men and a vehicle break-in crime spree along several highways in the Kootenays.
Two backcountry skiers who had their truck broken into and $3,000 worth of gear taken in mid-January from the Bonnington Traverse parking lot, 25km south of Nelson, are hopeful their stolen property may be among the items recovered.
“That’s great news,” said Nelson chef James Caldwell, when told of the developments at the Grand Forks RCMP detachment.
Also, a Nelson police officer said earlier this week that he wanted to speak to one of the suspects about a truck stolen from Nelson on January 15.
The two men were arrested by Grand Forks RCMP after an attempted mailbox theft in Christina Lake last Monday. Police recovered a stolen 2014 Dodge pickup and “extensive amounts” of stolen property. Numerous break and enters to sheds and additional thefts from Canada Post mailboxes were subsequently discovered in Christina Lake over the course of that day
RCMP will not say if they believe there is a link between the arrests and the theft from community mailboxes in the Nelson area in early January.
Numerous criminal charges have been laid against both men. Mitchell Olheiser, 25, of Cranbrook remains in custody. The second man was released on court documents to appear in court in Grand Forks at a later date.
RCMP is urging people to “not attend the detachment to enquire if we have your items.”
The release added, “We are in the process of contacting the owners of the property we have recovered. As this is an active criminal investigation, the property will be returned as soon as we possibly can.
Grand Forks RCMP is also working with Canada Post to try to return the stolen mail.
The investigation is ongoing and police say more charges more be laid.