Montreal man arrested after Ottawa police spot stolen Lexus

OTTAWA — Ottawa police say an 18-year-old from Montreal has been arrested after officers spotted a stolen vehicle over the weekend and tracked down its driver.

In a press release Monday, the Ottawa Police Service said patrol officers spotted a Lexus that had been reported stolen on Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard at around 3:40 a.m. Dec. 13. The officer attempted to stop the driver, but the driver allegedly sped off onto Highway 174.

Police later found the vehicle abandoned on a side road.

A K-9 unit tracked the driver to a nearby property, where he was arrested, police said.

Luca Del Papa, 18, of Montreal is charged with dangerous driving, fleeing police, theft over $5000 and possession of property obtained by crime.

He had a scheduled court appearance on Sunday.

Lexus vehicles appeared three times on a recent list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada.