RCMP searching for three male suspects in theft of wooden bear statue

On August 14, 2023, at approximately 8:00 a.m., the Kelowna RCMP received a report of theft from a local restaurant located in the 1700 block of Pier Mac Way.  The business stated that a six-foot wooden bear statue with significant value had been stolen from the outdoor area of the restaurant despite being securely chained up.

Upon reviewing the surveillance footage, it was revealed that the theft had been carried out by three male suspects. The vehicle used in the incident is a white mid 2000’s Ford F150 with a black tonneau cover and matches the description of a vehicle involved with a previous attempt to steal the statue.

The male driver of the Ford F150 is described to have white hair and a white beard, wearing an oversized white T-shirt. The second suspect, a younger male, was seen wearing a grey baseball hat, a red shirt, and jeans. Currently, there is no available description for the third male suspect. All three individuals were captured on camera loading the large statue into the back of the Ford before leaving the scene.

“This statue has stood as a guardian welcoming guests for quite some time now and has become an admired piece of this community. The owner and staff earnestly request it’s safe return,” stated Constable Mike Della-Paolera, Media Relations Officer with the Kelowna RCMP.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 and reference file 2023-47879. Or if you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.