AMHERST, N.S. – Two men are facing a variety of charges after the dump truck they allegedly stole was stopped in the Amherst Centre Mall parking lot on Wednesday.
Amherst Police received a call for help from a vehicle compliance officer who had stopped the pair in the mall parking lot after the truck failed to stop at the incoming weigh station at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border.
The compliance officer located the truck in the mall parking lot and ordered the pair to return to the scales. They drove the vehicle a short distance and then stopped, got out and fled on foot.
Amherst police officers and the vehicle compliance officer conducted a search for the pair with police finding them behind the nearby Tim Hortons/Wendy’s restaurant.
Upon their arrest, a search discovered a shotgun and ammunition in the backpack of one of the men. The shotgun had been disassembled, but could easily have been put back together.
Further investigation revealed the truck had been stolen from the Moncton area.
A 36-year-old male is facing charges of possession of property obtained by crime, driving while disqualified and failing to comply with a probation order. The second individual, a 20-year-old male, is facing charges of possession of property obtained by crime and six firearms related offences.
Both men will appear in Amherst provincial court on Jan. 21 for plea.
