Two men who attempted to steal a camper van in Tofino have been arrested thanks to two courageous kids and the keen eyes of the community.
Const. Chris Lemon of the Tofino RCMP told the Westerly News two men, ages 33 and 23, forced their way into the vehicle, parked near Tofino’s baseball fields, on May 24 but were fought off by two kids, 12 and 14, who were inside the camper at the time.
“A struggle ensued and these kids, considering their age, courageously fought these guys off,” Lemon said.
He said the thieves ran off but descriptions of them shot through social media leading to their arrest on May 25..
“The active updates on the Facebook Tofino Trading Post [page] definitely helped us track these guys down,” Lemon said. “Thanks to people posting photos and clothing descriptions on the Trading Post, we were able to spot these guys and arrest them following day.
He said both suspects were visiting from out of town and are suspected of other thefts that occurred while they were in Tofino. He added both men are in custody and out of Tofino.
“Good work on the community and they don’t need to worry that these guys are lurking around anymore,” he said.