Provincial police in Perth County say charges have been laid against four London men accused of stealing over $25,000 worth of tools from parked vehicles in Huron County.
Just before 4 a.m. Thursday, Perth County Ontario Provincial Police officers on patrol located a vehicle driving erratically along Perth Road 164. Police say the vehicle took off when they attempted to stop it.
At around 8 a.m., Huron County OPP were notified about a string of thefts that took place earlier that morning. Investigators learned several vehicles parked at a business on Queen Street in Howick Township were broken into. During the incident, windows on the vehicles were smashed, and tools amounting to around $26,000 were stolen.
Meanwhile back in Perth County, officers located the suspect vehicle it observed earlier that morning stuck in a field off County Road 170. Police say four suspects were allegedly seen fleeing from the vehicle.
With assistance from the OPP Canine Unit, West Region Emergency Response Team and calls from the public reporting suspicious activity, four men were located and arrested.
As a result, the men ages 32, 35, 36 and 41-years-old, all from London, face a total of 20 charges including theft over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, mischief under $5,000 among other charges.
Three of the accused were released from custody with a scheduled court date in Stratford. A fourth suspect was held in police custody pending a bail hearing.