Mission RCMP arrest 17-year-old male suspected of vandalism; youth resisted arrest after getting caught
MISSION — Mounties in Mission say vehicle owners on Dunsmuir Drive to Bannister Drive in Mission were targeted in a series of mischief incidents earlier this month, and a 17-year-old male suspected of being responsible for these incidents has been arrested.
According to a statement from Corporal Harrison Mohr, spokesperson for the Mission RCMP detachment, Mounties say about a dozen vehicles were keyed, while others had their tires slashed, one was set on fire, and another was doused in gasoline, between Tuesday, February 20 and Friday, February 23. All incidents occurred during the overnight hours, and most of the mischief incidents were not noticed until the following day, Cpl. Mohr said.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Friday, February 23, police responded to some garbage and a wooden newspaper box that had been set on fire in the 8500 block of Bannister Drive. About two hours later at 3:30 a.m., a male was seen trying to break into some mailboxes at the same location. An alert Mission resident took a photo of the male breaking into the mailboxes, and officers located the offender – a 17-year-old youth – nearby. The youth resisted arrest, then tried to damage a police car once in custody. A screwdriver and a knife were found in his possession.
The investigation into the spree of mischief is still ongoing, and it has not yet been confirmed whether the same youth is responsible for all of the recent damage in the area. Residents in the areas of Dunsmuir Street north of 13th Avenue, Balsam Avenue, Knight Avenue, Forbes Street, and Bannister Drive are asked to check their CCTV footage for the nights of February 20-23, and contact Mission RCMP if any suspicious persons or vehicles are seen during the overnight hours.
