Talk about bad luck!
An Oak Bay resident’s green Toyota Tacoma became the target of an unusual double theft this past week, after the truck was stolen twice in a matter of days.. ultimately ending with a police takedown in Saanich.
According to Oak Bay Police, the first incident happened sometime overnight between July 6th and 7th in the 2500 block of Eastdowne Road. The vehicle had been left unlocked, and a spare key was taken from inside.
What happened next left the owner puzzled. The truck had clearly been moved, but was mysteriously returned without a trace of who had taken it.
Then, just over 24 hours later, at 11:19 p.m. on July 8th, the Tacoma was stolen again—this time for good.
Oak Bay Police issued an alert to nearby police departments, and the Integrated Canine Service (ICS) soon located the vehicle in Saanich. A coordinated traffic stop was conducted with the assistance of Saanich Police.
Behind the wheel was an 18-year-old man, who was taken into custody without incident.
The suspect was later released by Oak Bay Police on an undertaking with conditions. The investigation is ongoing.
Also in Oak Bay last week, police responded to 89 calls for service between July 7th and 13th. Among them were a series of thefts from vehicles.
On July 9th, tools valued at roughly $800 were stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 2800 block of Foul Bay Road. Those tools were found later that day in the 2000 block of Newton Street.
On July 10th, another resident reported their vehicle had been broken into overnight in the 2000 block of Granite Street. A smashed window and missing backpack, documents, and water bottle were all part of the damage.
And on July 11th, a dramatic rollover crash at Beach Drive and Bowker Avenue saw emergency crews respond after a Tesla failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a Mitsubishi. The impact flipped the Mitsubishi onto its roof.
Its driver was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Tesla driver was unharmed but issued a violation ticket.
