Being patient and not diving into a situation is a particular virtue many of us aspire to possess.
Thankfully, it’s an asset that already appears to be in the locker of the Richmond RCMP’s Quick Response Team (QRT), who lay in wait, biding their time for a pair of alleged thieves.
The QRT officers were patrolling the area of Glenthorne Court and Glenhorne Drive – near Francis and No. 4 roads – when they came across a van they suspected was stolen.
Further checks verified that the gray, 2005 Pontiac Montana van, unoccupied at the time, was reported stolen from Richmond on April 13.
Instead of commandeering the van, the officers quietly waited to see if anyone would return.
And shortly after 5 p.m., three suspects - two males and a female - returned to the Pontiac and proceeded to drive it away.
The QRT team then liaised with the Lower Mainland Division of the Police Dog Services Unit, which resulted in the van being surrounded near Bakerview Drive, just south of where it was originally discovered.
The van’s three occupants were arrested and a cache of stolen property was recovered, including personal electronics, identification, credit cards and a luxury watch.
Last week, Richmond Crown Counsel approved multiple charges for two of the individuals. Christopher Cullum, 26, of Richmond, has been charged with one count of driving while prohibited and one count of breach of probation.
Richard Yeltatzie, 35, of Richmond, has been charged with one count of possession of stolen property under $5,000, one count of possession of identity documents and one count of breach of probation.
The woman in question was released without charge.
“A well calculated hunch or better yet, good instincts by our officers lead to those arrests,” said Richmond RCMP’s Cpl. Dennis Hwang.
“The decision to wait and see who would return to the vehicle proved to be very fruitful. Two of the suspects charged are well known to police.”
Hwang said the officers were able to return much of the property to their rightful owners, adding that it “gives us great satisfaction to be able to do that. Arresting suspects? Well, that goes without saying.”
