Lake Country man held in crime spree

A Lake Country man is under investigation for an alleged two-day crime spree in Castlegar.

The 13 charges faced by Sean Patrick Byrne, 28, include robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, impaired driving, assault, assault with a weapon, theft, possession of stolen property, and drug offences.

On Oct. 6, the driver of a truck with a burned-out headlight fled from an attempted police stop. He was taken into custody after crashing the truck.

The same man was involved in a series of crimes on Nov. 7, police say. He robbed a woman who was giving him a ride and stole her vehicle. After that vehicle got a flat tire, he attempted to steal another truck.

The driver of a passing semi noticed what was happening and stopped to provide help. The accused then tried to steal the semi but was held by the trucker until police arrived.

The accused appeared in a Rossland court on Thursday and is being held in custody.