Mini youth crime spree

Photo: Facebook - Jake Evans

UPDATE: 3 p.m.

Break ins, vehicle thefts, mischief, arson, bear spray assaults and more are suspected to have been caused by the same group of youth in Penticton overnight.

About 9 p.m., RCMP began receiving complaints about a group of young people causing problems around Power Street, Churchill Road and Lakeshore Drive.

Police patrolled the area and at 10 p.m. came across a man who had been bear sprayed. He was transported to Penticton Regional Hospital for treatment.

The man was not co-operative with police.

At 10:39 p.m., police received a report of six young people running around Lakeshore Drive associated to a van parked nearby. 

The youth were gone upon police arrival, and the van appeared to have a tampered ignition but had not been reported stolen. The registered owners were contacted and surprised to learn their van was not in the driveway of their Latimer Street residence. 

At 11 p.m., a resident of Power Street reported that a male had entered her basement suite through a window, and when she confronted him she was bear sprayed.

Police attended, and the occupants were transported to PRH for decontamination.

The suspect is described as a young male with no facial hair, Caucasian, very pale, about six feet tall, thin, wearing a black hoody and dark pants.

Throughout the night, there were several reports of youth kicking down fences, lighting napkins on fire at a doorway of Penticton Secondary School and smashing a car window on Forestbrook Drive.

Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth is asking the public: “Do you have a teenage son? Where was he last night? Who was he with? Did he and his friends steal a car, assault people with bear spray, break into houses, break car windows, commit arson and other endless mischief in Penticton?”

The police have a number of leads and have identified potential suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call Penticton RCMP or CrimeStoppers.

ORIGINAL

Firefighters responded to a minor fire at Penticton Secondary School overnight.

Deputy fire chief Dave Spalding says fire and RCMP responded to the front entrance of Pen Hi at 12:15 a.m.

They found some burned napkins on the ground in front of the entrance.

No other evidence of an attempt to start a fire was found, and the fire department is not investigating the incident.

The Penticton Shoplifters Facebook claimed some unidentified youths tried to set fire to the doors of the school.