Two suspects in the recent rash of thefts and break and entries pleaded guilty to six charges on Monday. They left court after receiving $650 fines.
Corey Cooper, 23, and Nathan Townsley, 22, both of Woodstock, Ont., arrived in Creston to pick fruit earlier this summer and “fell in love with the Creston Valley”, RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Gollan said on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, they chose theft as a way to make money to stay here,” he said.
One of the culprits was identified when an RCMP recognized his face from a surveillance camera photo. He had ridden to the police detachment on a stolen bike. He was arrested and his accomplice was later located at a campsite, where police found some marijuana and a large array of stolen property.
The pair has left Creston, returning to Ontario with a parent, who came when notified about the crimes the young men had committed.
“They had never been in trouble before,” Gollan said, adding that police are now busy trying to trace the owners of the stolen property that was recovered.