Vancouver police bust thief stopped for coffee beside station
Incredulous cops watch as just-reported stolen delivery van parks beside VPD headquarters
It might have been the perfect crime if only a caffeine craving hadn't got in the way.
On Monday, September 21, a number of Vancouver police officers watched in amazement as a delivery van that had been reported stolen moments earlier, drove right past VPD Headquarters on Cambie Street and parked nearby.
The man driving the van then got out and walked to the Starbucks coffee shop at the end of the block.
Police followed, entered the coffee shop, and after a brief struggle, arrested the man.
VPD spokesman Const. Brian Montague says the only thing that could have made solving this crime easier would be if the thief had put on his own handcuffs.
Brian Ross Phillips, 55, has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle and taking a motor vehicle without the owner's consent.
Montague says a 911 call came in around 6:00 a.m. PT Monday morning after the van's rightful driver had stopped briefly on Robson Street near Homer to make a quick delivery.
Although he had shut off the engine, the keys were left in the ignition and the thief jumped in and took off with the driver chasing on foot.
Police say neither mental health nor drugs appear to be factors in the crime.
Officers were able to quickly return the van to a thankful delivery driver with his cargo intact and untouched.