An orange Kubota RTV and a grey Arctic Cat were missing Monday after an overnight break-in at the Salmon Arm fairgrounds.
After the weekend’s annual fair, staff and volunteers arrived at the fairgrounds Monday morning, Sept. 10, to discover the missing machines.
In a Sept. 12 news release, Salmon Arm RCMP Staff Sgt. Scott West notes unknown culprits cut the lock to the gates at the fairgrounds and used a pickup truck to steal a new 2018 Kubota RTV and a new 2018 Arctic Cat ATV that were locked up and parked on the fairgrounds.
“It was inside a locked compound, inside a truck and cable locked to the truck,” says Steven DeBoer, co-chair of the committee that hosts the Salmon Arm Fair about the Kubota. “They came in with the tools.”
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The bright orange and black Kubota RTV, provided by Avenue Machinery of Vernon, has a cab model X1100. The vehicle is estimated to be worth about $25,000.
On loan by Shuswap Xtreme Recreation, the grey Arctic Cat Textron off-road vehicle, model Alterra 700xt, is worth about $13,000.
Shuswap Xtreme Recreation Sales and Marketing Manager Tom Byers says the theft puts a sour note on an otherwise successful fair.
“It was a shame, it was the best fall fair in 25 years and this now overshadows that,” he says.
The thieves also attempted to take a GMC truck provided by Ian Gray’s Salmon Arm GM but were not successful.
However, in his release, West reports thieves did substantial damage to the vehicle in their efforts to steal it.
West indicates police received a tip that an orange RTV was seen on Foothills Road heading away from town at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 10.
Anyone with information pertaining to the theft of the two vehicles is encouraged to contact the Salmon Arm RCMP at 250-832-6044, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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