Firearms were seized and four people were arrested at a Penticton motel Tuesday in an ongoing investigation by the local RCMP detachment’s targeted enforcement unit.
Several uniformed officers, along with plain clothes officers and a police service dog reportedly moved in on the motel on Tuesday as a the group arrived in a pickup truck.
Two men and two women, all reportedly known to police, are facing several charges from the arrests, which produced a handgun, a long gun, various types of ammunition and a “large amount” of suspected stolen property, believed to have come from a number of break-and-enters.
Oliver resident Waylon Faulhafer, 24, is facing several firearms related offences, driving offences and possession of stolen property charges, and was also wanted for arrest for a break-and-enter in Valemont, B.C.
Okanagan Falls resident Jesse McKnight, 27, is facing two firearms related offences, while 30-year-old Chelsey Thortensen of Oliver is facing a firearms related offence.
All three are in custody with a court date on Jan. 12, while the fourth person arrested was released on a promise to appear.
“Anytime that we can seize illegal firearms and get them off of the streets is a good thing,” said Cst. Heather Ritcey of the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Targeted Enforcement Unit.
“These arrests were the result of an intelligence led investigation and coordinated effort between various South Okanagan RCMP detachments.”