Ottawa police arrest alleged car thief with help from resident

With a major uptick of stolen cars in the city of Ottawa this last month, residents are stepping up to help police nab potential vehicle thieves.

The Ottawa Police Service say help from an Orléans resident led to the arrest of an alleged car thief this week.

Police say the resident was reviewing their home security footage and noticed a suspicious person walk up to his vehicle to take pictures of it, some up close.

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The resident was concerned because the incident occurred during the night and his vehicle is one that is commonly sought after by thieves.

"My truck is now on someone's Christmas shopping list and it's not a great feeling," the resident told police.

He decided to monitor his security cameras again and noticed the supect drive by his home at around 3:30 a.m. and called 9-1-1.

An initial patrol of the area by police did not find the suspicious vehicle, but the resident called back 10 minutes later to say the suspicious vehicle had returned.

Officers arrived in the area and closed it off. Police and the K9 unit began to look for suspects.

Police located the suspect vehicle and arrested the driver. Two other suspects had fled the area.

The East Criminal Investigations Unit charged the 22-year-old driver from Charlemagne, Que. with Attempted theft over $5000, Conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, and Possession of break-in instruments. The driver was not named.

Over 1,200 vehicles have been stolen in the city this year, including almost 40 just last week.

The Ottawa Police are reminding residents to call 9-1-1 if they see suspicious vehicles and incidents.