On April 21st just before 4am a Perth County OPP officer on general patrol on Perth Road 165 in West Perth, located a suspicious vehicle driving ertatically. The vehicle fled when the officer attempted to stop it.
Just before 8am the same day, Huron County OPP received a report of a theft that took place during the early morning hours. Multiple parked vehicles at a business on Queen Street in Howick Township were broken into. Multiple windows were smashed and multiple tools taken, totalling a loss of approximately $26,000.
Officers then located the suspect vehicle after it became stuck in a field off Road 170, in West Perth. The four suspects were seen fleeing from the vehicle.
Calls from the public about suspicious activity aided officers, and with the assitance of the OPP Canine and West Region Emergency Response Unit, the four suspects were located and arrested.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, four people have been arrested and charged.
A 36 year old, 35 year old, 32 year old and 41 year old, all male and of London have been charged with theft over $5,000, mischief under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and possession of break-in instruments. The 35 year old was also charged with failing to comply with a probation order, the 41 year old with uttering threats and the 36 year old with possession of a schedule 1 substance meth.
Three of the four have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in a Stratford court at a later date.
The 41 year old was held in custody pending a bail hearing.