Two men who fled from police in a stolen car were arrested early Wednesday after crashing the vehicle in downtown Maple Ridge.
Ridge Meadows RCMP picked up their trail around 2 a.m. after Langley RCMP advised officers the car was crossing the Golden Ears Bridge.
It was spotted by an officer on Golden Ears Way.
Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said the car accelerated when police tried to get the driver to pull over, so officers backed off and did not pursue it.
The car eventually turned south onto 224th Street from 128th Avenue, but struck a utility pole near Brown Avenue.
Two men ran from the car, but were captured by Mounties with help from a police dog.
Jeffrey Brian MacDonald, a 21-year-old from Surrey, and Lucas Anthony Morgan, 19-year-old from Abbotsford, face one count each of flight from a peace officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and possession of stolen property.
Police said the stolen car was badly damaged in the crash and had to be towed. No one was injured.
B&E
Jewellery was stolen Wednesday during a break-and-enter to a Maple Ridge home.
Police were alerted to the theft on Cliff Place after an alarm was set off around 1.30 p.m.
Officers found a glass door at the back of the house had been smashed with a brick.
Thieves managed to steal the jewellery before the alarm scared them off.
Fast fiends
Ridge Meadows RCMP are investigating a pair of robberies at fast food restaurants in Maple Ridge on Tuesday.
The first happened around 8:30 p.m. at a Dairy Queen in the 22400-block of the Lougheed Highway.
Two young men walked into the restaurant and helped themselves to an ice cream cake.
Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said a man in restaurant challenge the pair and told them to either pay for the cake or return it to the freezer.
One of the men then pulled out a knife and both walked out of the Dairy Queen.
The thieves are described as white men, around 18 years old, 5-8 with slim builds. The man with the weapon had shaggy, dirty blond hair and was wearing a brown and beige hat with a white hooded sweatshirt. His partner had dark, short hair and was wearing a dark-coloured jacket.
The second robbery took place at 9:20 p.m. at an A&W Restaurant in the 22800-block of the Lougheed Hwy.
A man entered the restaurant, went up to the front counter and told staff he had a knife. He was given an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing.
The suspect is described as a white man, 5-10. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and covered his head with a white T-shirt with eye holes cut out to avoid being identified. He left the restaurant on a silver coloured BMX-style bicycle.
Hot pot
A fire that destroyed an RV in east Maple Ridge on Monday led police to a marijuana grow operation.
The 20-foot-long trailer on a property on 110th Avenue was destroyed by the blaze that started around 8 p.m.
Maple Ridge assistant fire chief Timo Juurakko said the trailer, burned to the frame, was located next to a house on the property.
Firefighters and police entered the house to check if people were inside. As they were clearing the home, an officer spotted marijuana plant.
RCMP applied for a search warrant and seized 450 plants.
A 63-year-old man, who police say is associated with the property, was arrested at a road block nearby.
He has been released from custody while police continue to investigate the grow op.
Damage done
Ridge Meadows RCMP are investigating a rash of vandalism that targeted several cars in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows this week.
The first incident involved a vehicle that was parked in a lot overnight Sunday. The passenger-side window of the pickup truck was smashed.
The second incident happened between 7:55 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Monday.
A man was out for a walk on the Pitt Meadows dikes and parked his car on Connecting Road near Sharpe Road.
When he returned, the driver’s side window had been smashed. Another driver saw a dark grey or black van leaving the area and a person wearing a three-quarter length hooded coat get into the vehicle.
The third file involved a pickup truck parked on Burnett Street in Maple Ridge. The truck had its passenger window smashed sometime between 11 p.m. Monday and 11 a.m. Tuesday.
• Police are urging residents to call 911 if they see they see suspicious people or vehicles in their neighbourhood.
Drugs seized
An assortment of illegal drugs was seized by police on Friday from two apartments in Maple Ridge.
Officers with the Ridge Meadows RCMP’s Street Enforcement Unit arrested five people after executing two search warrant within the same condominium complex on 224th Street.
Police seized a large quantity of psilocybin, which is the active illegal substance in magic mushrooms, as well as ecstasy pills, cocaine, marihuana and methamphetamine. Police also seized an undisclosed amount of cash, a Tazer and body armour.
Cpl. Alanna Dunlop said the names of those arrested are not being released at this time, due to the pending criminal charges.
Suspicious man
Ridge Meadows RCMP are looking for a man who was spotted trying to break into a car on Wednesday.
The man was seen opening a car door on 118th Avenue near Creekside Street around 6:40 a.m.
Police said he was scared away after the car’s owner called out to him. He ran south on Creekside St.
He is described as a white man, 15–18 years old, 5-6 with a slim build. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.