A 29-year-old man has been charged after allegedly stealing an SUV, hitting the owner with the vehicle, and later ramming two police vehicles trying to stop him in Burnaby last week.
Police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle near Patterson Avenue and Victory Street just after 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 15, according to Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Mike Kalanj.
He said the suspect reportedly ran into the owner of the SUV before fleeing the area.
Police later located the SUV near Joffre Avenue and Clinton Street near the Burnaby-Vancouver border and tried to stop him.
But the driver took off, colliding with two police vehicles and several parked cars before being arrested, according to Kalanj.
Nickolas Jan Balaz has now been charged with flight from police, dangerous driving, motor vehicle theft and assault with a weapon.
The charges were approved on Nov. 16, and Balaz remains in custody awaiting bail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 29.
Based on information on Court Services Online, Balaz was on probation during the incident.
He had pleaded guilty less than two months earlier to multiple offences, including theft of vehicles, and was sentenced to one year of probation on Sept. 25.
Under the terms of his probation he was banned for year from being in the driver seat of any vehicle without written permission and from entering or handling "any part of any motor vehicle" except public transit, according to the court registry.
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