2 people arrested after vehicles stolen by a tow truck in Transcona
Woman says her husband's truck, which was stolen, has been part of many family memories and can't be replaced
Winnipeg police say two people have been arrested in connection with a string of vehicle thefts in the Transcona area, as one resident says her husband's truck was towed away from their home recently — even though there was no order in place to have it removed.
Tiffany Schritt says her family had parked their Ford F-150 pickup truck outside their house overnight late last week.
At around 3:30 a.m. Friday, a doorbell camera on their porch recorded what appears to be a tow truck driving past the Schritts' truck. Minutes later, the tow truck pulls back up against the vehicle and lifts it before driving away with it. No one could be seen getting out of the tow truck.
The family didn't know the vehicle had gone missing until around 5:30 p.m. that day, when Schritt's husband, Jason, came home and asked where it was.
The F-150 was paid in full, and there were no issues with where it had been parked, Schritt said. The family reported the matter to police, who confirmed there were no towing orders in the area and that the vehicle had been stolen.
"It's disturbing," Schritt told CBC News on Wednesday.
"My husband and I were really upset," she said. "It's invasive. You don't want your things stolen like that's ours."
The truck usually stays at Schritt's property in the rural municipality of Alexander, about 103 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, where they'd use it to get a boat out of the lake.
Missing truck has special meaning
That was the kind of weekend they were planning until the truck was stolen. While they have other vehicles to get around in, the truck holds a special meaning for the family, Schritt said.
"It's actually where my husband and I first met. We went through a car wash in that vehicle, so there are a lot of memories," she said.
The truck also has a special place in Jason Schritt's heart, as it was gifted to him following the death of his grandmother.
"It's pretty sentimental to him. You can't replace that," Tiffany Schritt said.
WATCH | Winnipeg police arrest 2 after vehicles stolen with tow truck:
In addition to the two arrests, Winnipeg police said in a news release Wednesday that they have seized two tow trucks regarding a "series" of vehicle thefts reported in Transcona.
Police did not release any details about the two individuals who were arrested.
CBC News asked police for a specific number of reports, but a spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing and they will not provide more details at this time.
Schritt posted about the truck theft on social media. She said other Winnipeggers commented that their vehicles had been stolen under similar circumstances over the past week.
"Nobody would question a tow truck, and nobody has until now," she said. "You'd drive by, you see a tow truck, and you're like, 'Oh, he's just doing his job, right?'"
Vehicles not yet recovered, owners say
Teah Sawa, who also lives in Transcona, says her van was taken from outside her house by a tow truck early Monday morning, even though there were no issues with where the van was parked.
Security camera footage from her home shows a tow truck backing up against the front of her van at around 1:30 a.m., lifting the van up and driving away with it.
Sawa, a single mother of two children with special needs, says she needs the van to drive her children to and from activities and medical appointments.
"[The van] is kind of a very important part of our routine and our outings," she said. "It's definitely putting a wrench in what I need to do … I'm limited in how far I can go."
Sawa says she holds out hope that the van will be brought back to her home in one piece.
"It's an important part of mine and my children's lives," she said.
Sawa and Schritt said as of Wednesday, police have not given them any information about the status of their vehicles.
"Hopefully, we'll all find our vehicles," Schritt said.
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