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Car theft ends in foot chase, arrest

An early-morning foot chase by a Nanaimo Mountie was needed to arrest a suspect in a stolen car.

An early-morning foot chase by a Nanaimo Mountie was needed to arrest a suspect in a stolen car.

In his patrol car at 8 a.m. Thursday, the officer checked the licence plate of a 1999 white four-door Plymouth Breeze travelling south on Terminal Avenue.

The car was reported stolen in Saanich Tuesday and when the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver made an illegal left turn onto Gordon Street and drove into the three-level parkade at speeds approaching 60 km/h.

Steering violently through the parkade, the driver eventually turned into a dead end, abandoned the car and fled on foot pursued by the officer.

The foot chase ended at the intersection of Bastion and Commercial streets with the officer arresting the suspect, who was in possession of stolen credit cards from a break-in of a tractor-trailer in Ladysmith last month.

Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said the 35-year-old male is well-known to police across Vancouver Island. He faces charges of possesion of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, dangerous driving, flight from police and driving while prohibited.

He was scheduled to appear in Nanaimo provincial court Thursday.