Edmonton police say six people have been charged in connection to a string of vehicle thefts.
EPS says throughout March, officers noticed an increased number of vehicle theft reports in and around the city.
In numerous incidents, vehicles were left idling in the early hours of the morning prior to being stolen.
On March 21, four vehicles that were reported stolen were located at a west Edmonton motel.
This led to police charging 33-year-old Caleb Marks with seven offences including possession of stolen property, driving while disqualified and breach of court order.
Through the investigation, officers identified an associated residence in west Edmonton where they found three more vehicles that were reported stolen on March 26.
EPS then took five people — 27-year-old Kristopher Prasad, 35-year-old Michael Night, 22-year-old Britney Dyck, 34-year-old Alexander Carriere, and 42-year-old Tammy Glimps — into custody and all have been charged with theft of motor vehicle, dangerous driving, possession of stolen property and breach of court order.
“We are pleased to be able to lay charges and put an end to this recent spike in auto thefts associated with this group,” says TRAP Sergeant Ian Strom. “While leaving your vehicle idling should not make you a victim to crime, the suspects who commit auto crimes are looking for easy targets. That’s why we encourage Edmontonians to lock up and turn off their unattended vehicles.”
EPS says in 2023, officers within their TRAP (Targeted Response to Auto Theft Prevention) unit made 490 arrests, which led to 1,700 criminal charges and the recovery of over $18,000,000 in stolen vehicles and equipment.