RCMP nab two people featured on IMPACT’s ‘Top Ten' list
By Nelson Daily Staff
Okanagan RCMP, in conjuction with the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT), arrested two people featured on IMPACT’s ‘Top Ten” most wanted vehicle crime offenders and one Surrey’s Most Wanted List during a takedown Thursday in Penticton.
Arrested were 28-year-old Matthew Soper and 21-year-old female Laetitia Acera.
Both are well known crime offenders in the Lower Mainland, and featured on IMPACT’s ‘Top Ten” most wanted vehicle crime offenders.
Soper is also on Surrey’s Most Wanted List.
The arrests were made possible after Penticton RCMP responded to numerous break ins of vehicles and residences in Okanagan Falls and Penticton Tuesday.
Identification, credit and bank cards, cash, jewelry, garage door remotes, keys and other various items were taken.
The investigation revealed that a number of the credit and bank cards were quickly used around Penticton.
RCMP was able to identify a possible suspect vehicle which was believed to have been stolen out of White Rock.
Members of IMPACT attended Penticton to assist The Penticton Crime Reduction Unit in the investigation.
The investigators began to look for the suspect vehicle which was eventually located in Penticton at the Best Western Hotel.
Two of the suspects were known to have 17 outstanding criminal code warrants for their arrest as a result of numerous offence
s in the Lower Mainland and Okanagan over the past several months. The Kelowna RCMP Street Enforcement Team also attended Penticton to assist in the arrest of the suspects.
Thursday (May 7) at 1 a.m. members of Penticton RCMP, IMPACT, and Kelowna RCMP moved in to arrest the suspects.
One of the male suspects ran from police and was noted to discard a loaded handgun in a nearby bush.
He was pursued by a police service dog and apprehended. Two females and another male suspect were also arrested without incident.
Both Soper and Acera and the other female suspect remain in custody as the investigation continues.
Preliminary investigation indicates that Soper was involved in the recent rash of Break Ins and Thefts in Penticton and Okanagan Falls.
Further charges are forthcoming.
