2 women arrested after alleged car theft

A 38-year-old woman from Surrey and a 39-year-old woman from Abbotsford were arrested after an alleged theft of catalytic converters in north Burnaby.

Mounties in Burnaby responded to reports of two women underneath a van parked near Brighton Avenue and Lougheed Highway on Jan. 22 around 4:30 a.m.

Corp. Mike Kalanj says the pair drove off before police arrived.

“Luckily, the caller gave us a pretty good description of the vehicle that the suspects fled in, and one of our officers was able to locate it in the area, and two female suspects were arrested on scene.”

The suspects were reportedly arrested with multiple catalytic converters.

Kalanj says catalytic converter thefts have dropped in Burnaby recently, but this incident is a reminder that they still happen. He says it’s unlikely that the theft last month was connected to transnational crime.

The Burnaby RCMP says it will be recommending charges of vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, and a breaching conditions.

—With files from Michelle Meiklejohn and Maria Vinca