On Tuesday night, Langley RCMP were called to an underground parking lot in the 21000 block of 56 Avenue, after a woman witnessed two men attempting to break into her vehicle. She told police a friend had chased the two would-be thieves from the building.
On arrival, police were told the suspects had attempted to break into a second vehicle parked on the street. The woman's friend was close behind, so the two would-be thieves were not successful in stealing the second vehicle. They fled on foot.
Lower Mainland Police Dog Services (PDS) attended ad a track was immediately established north on 211 Street, into thick brush and a swampy field on the edge of the Nicomekl River. One of the suspects was located on the east side of the river and the officer needed to wade in and swim to the other side of the river to arrest him.
A 40-year-old Langley man was arrested for break and enter and mischief. He appeared in court Wednesday.
The second suspect got away.
"I take a lot of pride in the efforts that our members took to catch this suspect," said Langley RCMP Insp. Amrik Virk. "I know the community will share that pride as well. The fact that we had a member swimming across a river to apprehend a suspect speaks to the commitment of our members in their service to this community. Needless to say, we will cover the member’s dry cleaning bill.”
Virk also thanked the person who chased after the suspects and the woman who called police, for the prompt information about the crimes in progress.