‘Prolific offender’ charged after stealing truck and child’s hockey gear, Abbotsford police say

A suspect vehicle is seen near the summit of Sumas Mountain in this photo handed out by the Abbotsford Police Department.

A recent vehicle theft case had a happy ending and two suspects are facing several charges in connection to the crime, according to the Abbotsford Police Department.

Police were alerted to a stolen Ford F450 being tracked in the Sumas Mountain area just before 7 a.m. on Feb. 17, the department recounted in a news release Wednesday. The vehicle was allegedly stolen from a hotel parking lot in Langley earlier that day.

The truck contained the owner’s son’s hockey gear as they were visiting the Lower Mainland for a tournament, police said.

“Officers arrived in the Sumas Mountain area and found the stolen truck stuck in the snow, but it was unoccupied, and the hockey gear was missing. Believing the suspects were still in the area, officers began a search,” the release reads.

Officers “encountered another vehicle believed to be connected to the stolen F450” near the summit and both the police and suspects vehicles got stuck in the snow.

Police say two suspects—David Anderson, 40, and Kristina Wardell, 33—then fled on foot.

“After a lengthy foot chase on steep, icy terrain, officers successfully apprehended both Anderson and Wardell,” the release reads.

Police say they recovered the contents of the stolen F450, including the hockey gear, from the suspect vehicle.

The gear was returned just in time for the hockey tournament and the son’s team, the Tier 2 West Kelowna Warriors, ended up winning.

Meanwhile, Anderson, who police say had several outstanding warrants at the time of his arrest, is facing charges including theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property, obstruction, breach of probation and driving while prohibited. Wardell was also charged with theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property and obstruction.

Online court records indicate Anderson is in custody, while Wardell is not.