Vernon police dog sniffs out car thief

An RCMP police dog named Hawkes sniffed out an alleged car thief in Vernon last week.

The incident happened at about 4 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6, when police spotted a car with no front licence plate at the intersection of 32 Street and 43 Avenue, according to an RCMP media release.

Upon checking the rear licence plate number, officers discovered the vehicle had been stolen.

The driver sped away then abandoned the vehicle near Old Kamloops Road.

Hawkes was called in and quickly sniffed the man out. He was arrested without incident.

A 44-year-old Kelowna man has since been released from custody and will appear in court at a later date to face charges of possession of stolen property and flight from police.

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