A man faces charges after a Police patrol caught him napping in a stolen vehicle in the small hours.
Acting Detective Inspector Simon Harrison says a Crime Squad unit was travelling through R¨¡nui at around 1.45am.
¡°At first the night shift team came across a vehicle parked on Bahari Drive with the door wide open and the driver sound asleep.
¡°On further checks, the vehicle was showing as stolen.¡±
The vehicle had been reported stolen from the North Shore area in a burglary earlier this month.
¡°The lone man was startled awake when our staff approached him, locating a screwdriver securely resting in his lap,¡± acting Detective Inspector Harrison says.
¡°We arrested the 21-year-old man without further incident.¡±
He has been charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and will appear in the Wait¨¡kere District Court next week.
Police enquiries are ongoing into the initial burglary in Wairau Valley.
ENDS.?
Jarred Williamson/°µÍø½ûÇø