By Gary McKenna
The Tri-City News
Two suspected thieves had no trouble breaking into the Esso Processing centre at the end of Ioco Road Sunday night -it was leaving the facility that proved challenging.
The men broke into offices in search of laptops and tools before attempting three times to flee the scene in stolen trucks but crashed one, got another stuck in the mud and blew a tire in the third vehicle.
Security guards had initially phoned the Port Moody Police Department after discovering an abandoned truck on the north side of the 200-acre property that appeared to have crashed into a pole.
The vehicle had been stolen from Surrey on Jan. 3 and had a large amount of forest debris in the undercarriage.
Police left the scene but were called back to the area when the security guards discovered the two men were still in the secured compound.
The area was quickly cordoned off and the K9 unit was dispatched, however police were only able to apprehend one of the suspects, who had apparently injured himself during the break-in.
A 40-year-old Burnaby resident with a long history of property crime was taken into custody and police are continuing their search for the second suspect.
Police said the suspects gained entry to the facility by cutting the locks off of an old service road. Investigators have yet to determine if the men were successful in stealing anything.
