A car thief took the bait and was caught hook, line and sinker.
The 19-year-old man was arrested Tuesday morning after stealing a bait car in downtown Abbotsford, police said.
Sgt. Judy Bird said the man has been charged with theft, possession of stolen property and breach of probation. She said it’s not clear where the teen lives, but he has had previous run-ins with the law in Kamloops.
The Abbotsford Police participate in the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team’s bait car program. Bird said there are always bait cars on Abbotsford streets, waiting to catch unsuspecting thieves.
She said that, on average, there are five to 10 car thefts in Abbotsford every week.
However, Bird said, thefts of items left in cars are much more common.
“It is out of control,” she said, adding that if people leave anything of value in their car “it is going to get stolen.”