East Hants District RCMP has charged a New Brunswick man with numerous offences following an investigation into theft of motor vehicles.

On December 27, at approximately 5:10 am, East Hants District RCMP received a report that a man had attempted to steal a tow truck from a business in Elmsdale. The man arrived at the business driving a dump truck and fled in the same vehicle.

A short time later, officers responded to a report that a pickup truck had been stolen from a residential property in Lantz, and that a dump truck had been left at the property. The dump truck matched the description of the one that was seen at the business in Elmsdale. Through further investigation, officers learned that the dump truck had been stolen in Memramcook, New Brunswick, earlier the same day.

Over the next several days, further reports of thefts and break and entering, believed to involve the same man, were received in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Then, on January 7, East Hants District RCMP members were actively patrolling the Elmsdale business park at approximately 1130 pm and observed a silver Ford F-150 being driven by a man matching the suspect’s description. Officers attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop. After a brief pursuit through the business park, officers safely arrested the driver on highway 102 in Lantz.

Travis William Blanchard, 31, of Trois Ruisseaux, New Brunswick has been charged with numerous criminal code offences including, but not limited to Breaking and Entering, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Theft over 5,000, Theft under 5,000, and Flight from a Peace Officer.

Blanchard has been remanded and will appear this morning in Truro Provincial Court at 9:30 a.m.

The investigation is ongoing.