It was a difficult start to the week for a West Kelowna family after a woman stole their pickup from their private and gated property Monday morning. 

“It’s been a rough morning, and I am now having these thoughts of how it could have turned horribly badly,” a woman who only wants to identify as Alison tells Castanet.

She said at 6:30 a.m. her husband went outside to warm up his GMC in their gated driveway off Butt Road.

“He looked out the front window and saw a person in a vehicle and it backing up,” she said. 

The woman broke through their chain-link fence and pried it wide enough to get the truck out of their driveway.

“He ran out, jumped on the hood of the vehicle as she was backing up,” said Alison.

The icy driveway made it difficult for the thief to drive away, and the vehicle spun out. 

“He was able to jump off the hood, open the door and pull her out,” said Alison. “He held her down while I called the police.”

Police swarmed the area within minutes and arrested the woman.

The woman was prohibited from driving and subject to a probation order, under strict conditions to keep the peace, and not possess any personal identification or identity documents belonging to others, said RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.

Alison said what police found on the woman is what made her realize how differently things could have gone.

“She was carrying a concealed knife and had dirty needles on her,” she said.

Police found used needles, a pocket knife, bb gun pellets along with compressed air cartridges and a B.C. identification card in another person’s name. 

The woman approached the home on a bicycle, which police confirm was stolen a number of years ago in Kelowna. 

"It is fortunate that the vehicle owner didn't sustain any injuries during his interaction with the suspect, who allegedly made attempts to strike him in order to escape,” said O’Donaghey.

Although police commend the man for apprehending the woman, they caution the public from placing themselves in unnecessary risk.

“The suspect had a number of items in her possession that could have caused serious harm, or had life-altering implications," said O'Donaghey.
 
The 21-year-old Kelowna woman was held in custody and faces a number of potential criminal charges.