East Van crime spree ends with arrest after motorcycle theft, truck set ablaze, suspect struck by car

A Vancouver Police Department patch is seen in Vancouver on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Police have arrested a 41-year-old suspect after a chaotic East Vancouver crime spree that allegedly included stealing a motorcycle, setting a truck on fire and being struck by a vehicle while fleeing officers.

In a news release Friday, the Vancouver Police Department said officers responded to a “crime scene that spanned several blocks.”

The crime spree began just before 2 p.m. on Thursday, when someone stole a motorcycle near Main Street and Industrial Avenue, police said.

“Approximately an hour later, the suspected motorcycle thief ditched the stolen bike near Mountainview Cemetery, at Fraser Street and East 41st Avenue,” police said in the release. “He allegedly entered a work truck parked inside the cemetery, drove it into a tree, and set a fire inside the cab of the truck.”

The suspect fled the scene, but later on officers spotted a man matching his description near Main Street and East 41st Avenue.

Police said following a brief pursuit on foot, the suspect was taken into custody after running into traffic and being struck by a car.

He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation is ongoing, and police said no charges have been laid yet.