A man whom police call a “prolific offender” was arrested on the weekend after crashing a stolen vehicle in Abbotsford.
Const. Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police Department (APD) said officers responded on Saturday (Jan. 29) at about 9:45 p.m. to a single-car crash in the 6700 block of Satchell Street (north of Harris Road and east of Bradner Road). The caller said the driver had run off.
While en route to the scene, police determined that the crashed vehicle had been stolen, and they blocked off the area.
They also discovered that, earlier in the evening, the same stolen vehicle had been involved in two separate break-ins in the Lower Mainland and had driven away from police in another community.
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The suspect was arrested and taken into custody in Abbotsford with the help of the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service.
At the time of his arrest, Patrick Thomas Russell, 34, was wanted on several warrants. He has been remanded on a total of 17 charges currently outstanding before the courts.
Walker said prolific offenders like Russell are continuing to be released back into the community. He is the third prolific offender arrested in Abbotsford in the past two weeks, Walker added.
“These individuals demonstrate time and time again that they have no desire to obey any court-imposed release conditions. Often these offenders are responsible for a large portion of the crimes occurring within our community that continue to victimize the general public,” he said.
In July 6, 2020, Russell was arrested in relation to a commercial bucket truck being stolen in Abbotsford while a worker was in the bucket about 20 feet off the ground. The worker was able to quickly remove his harness and jump to safety.
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The suspect eventually drove into a lamp standard, hit a traffic pole and ripped the bucket from its extension. The bucket was left behind at the McDonald’s restaurant on Bourquin Crescent West.
The vehicle was abandoned in a nearby townhouse complex, and the suspect was located after an extensive search by APD officers and a police dog unit.
In relation to that incident, Russell is still before the courts on charges of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving and driving while prohibited.
Other charges he still has before the courts for other incidents include possession of stolen property; theft of a motor vehicle on July 23, 2020; identity theft; fraud; resisting a peace officer; theft; and impaired driving.
Russell also has numerous past convictions for offences such as possession of stolen property, theft, causing a disturbance, driving while prohibited, failing to stop at an accident, break-and-enter, and breaching his conditions.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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