Out of town hockey team saves goalie gear after it was stolen from a local hotel, while air drying.
On October 21, 2023, just after 9:00 am, a Penticton front-line officer was flagged down by a group of young hockey players, in the area of 1050 Eckhardt Ave west, after they witnessed a man take their teammates goalie gear from outside of a hotel room where it was being air dried prior to their next big game.
A few players from the team observed a male enter the property of the hotel and steal pieces of goalie gear prior to departing toward Riverside Drive. The young players followed the male at a distance to keep an eye on him and eventually came across an officer in the area. “We waved down an officer who immediately helped us catch the guy. It was the craziest thing”, says Braxton Tessman, goalie for the U18 North Okanagan Knights. Tessman and his team were thankful for the officer’s quick response in being able to retrieve the gear back, as the team was in town for a series of games over the weekend.
“No one wants to travel to a community and become a victim of theft, especially that of a youth, who relies on the sporting gear to remain active and do something they love”, says Cst. Kelly BRETT. “We are thankful our front-line officer was the in the area at the time and was able to act quickly for Braxton and his teammates”.
The 31-year-old Penticton male involved in the incident was arrested and later released from custody.