Bait car snags two thieves in Kelowna

KELOWNA – Two men in a stolen bait car were arrested at a red light on Highway 97 on Wednesday morning.

Police remotely disabled the bait car as the two alleged thieves waited for a red light at Ethel Street, Kelowna RCMP media officer Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in a press release.

The two suspects fled in opposite directions as police closed in, O’Donaghey said, but were quickly arrested.

The bait car was remotely tracked after police dispatchers saw the bait car had been activated, entered and removed from its location in Rutland.

Police say the two men, 37-year-old Lawrence Plotnikoff of Grand Forks and 52-year-old Michael Peter Bartolo of Kelowna, were held in custody and face a charge of possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Plotnikoff also faces a charge of theft of a motor vehicle over $5,000.


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John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca