Citizen’s help praised after prolific offender arrested in alleged stolen vehicle in Coldstream

July 30 2026 - A local man is back behind bars after a member of the public helped RCMP take a prolific offender into custody who allegedly stole a vehicle in Coldstream.

On Tuesday afternoon, a frontline Vernon North Okanagan RCMP officer was flagged down by a resident who said she had just spotted her stolen vehicle at a nearby gas station.

When the officer approached and informed the driver he was under arrest, the man attempted to drive away but was blocked in.

Once outside the vehicle, RCMP say he physically resisted.

With assistance from the vehicle owner, who was nearby, the officer safely completed the arrest without further incident.

A female passenger was also arrested and later released pending investigation.

Superintendent Blake MacLeod, Officer in Charge of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, singled out the citizen’s actions for praise. “We want to thank the person who stepped in to help our officer that day,” he said. “Their willingness to assist when it was needed made a real difference and helped bring a challenging situation to a safe conclusion. We are sincerely grateful for their actions.”

A 32 year old Vernon man, faces charges of possession of stolen property and five counts of failing to comply with a release order.

He appeared in court Wednesday and was remanded in custody.

Citizen’s help praised after prolific offender arrested in stolen vehicle in Coldstream