A few days after images from security video footage of two people stealing a van from a Langley shop were posted to social media, police located the van.
In response to a query from Back Press Media, Langley RCMP Cpl. Holly Largy said the missing vehicle was located on Jan. 21.
No charges have been laid, yet.
“Suspects have been identified and the investigation is continuing,” Largy said.
Largy said one of the tipsters who contacted police said they had identified the suspects from a “news story,” an apparent reference to the published security footage.
While the release of the footage was helpful in that it led to an identification, “there is a still a follow-up investigation that has to take place,” Largy said.
Scott Waddle, the shop owner who released the pictures, was pleased with the news.
“It’s good to know that they have someone in mind.”
READ MORE: Thieves identified by social media
Waddle, the owner of Precision Auto Service on 22575 Fraser Hwy. said aftet he posted the pictures, there were a lot of comments from people online who said they recognized the man and woman recorded in the act of stealing a Mercedes van that had been dropped off at the shop after-hours on a Sunday.
There is a heavy-duty metal drop box where customers can securely deposit keys using an envelope, but the customer did not use an envelope, which allowed the female suspect to fish the keys out using a metal hook.
“The girl spent a solid 10 minutes [getting at the keys],” Waddle said. “She was very patient.”
Waddle said his business has not had a problem with theft until now because it is in a busy location with a restaurant next door.
“We’ve been here 13 to 14 years,” Waddle said. “We’ve almost had no problems.”
“We got the [security] cameras mostly for the false alarms.”
Waddle reported the theft to police, then posted some images from the security video to various social media.
After being tipped the pair were known to be from the Aldergrove area, he posted the images on an Aldergrove Facebook page and was flooded with messages
“It got almost 100 responses,” he said. Several named the two suspects and said they were known thieves.
Waddle said he was able to locate what appeared to be the personal page of the male suspect, with a photo showing the man wearing the same clothes and earrings seen in the video.
He has relayed the information to the Langley RCMP.
Waddle said while police told him the drop box was “very secure” he’s taken steps to make it “significantly more difficult” for people to fish keys out of the drop box.
“We put some louvres in there to prevent anyone from reaching in.”
Anyone with information can contact the Langley RCMP on the non-emergency line at 604-532-3200 and mention file number 2019-1545