Two men arrested, charged after stealing RCMP bait car

Charges have been laid against two men after they were caught stealing a bait car, Kelowna RCMP said on Friday.

The theft took place Wednesday morning at 7:23 a.m. in Rutland. Police say they were alerted when the two men stole the car, setting off electronic notifications. While receiving live updates from dispatchers of the bait car’s location, speed and direction, police tactically flooded into outlying areas.

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“RCMP chose to remotely disable the bait car’s engine as it waited at a red light, in the westbound lanes of Harvey Avenue at Ethel Street,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey of the Kelowna RCMP said in a press release. “Two suspects were taken into police custody a short distance away, and a very short time after they each bolted on foot in opposite directions from the stolen bait car.”

Ryan Lawrence Plotnikoff, 37, of Grand Forks was held in custody and appeared in court. He has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle over $5,000 and possession of stolen property over $5,000.

Michael Peter Bartolo, 52, of Kelowna was also held in custody and appeared in court. He has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000.

To learn more about the RCMP’s bait car program, visit www.baitcar.com.