Police arrested a 35-year-old prolific offender after the man allegedly tried to break in to a business early Thursday morning.

The incident was discovered around 5: 30 a.m. when the owner/operator of The Kutting Korner on 225th Street arrived at his business and spotted a blow torch near a broken window.

"As the store owner went inside the business, the suspect came out, took the blow torch and walked away," said Ridge Meadows RCMP Sgt. Dale Somerville.

Police were called and found the suspect still in the area and he was arrested.

"Turns out the suspect had warrants for his arrest, so he was kept in custody and he will have to deal with both the warrants and any new charges against him," Somerville explained.

There was no entry gained to the business.

BLITZ GENERATES 108 TICKETS

Police issued 108 tickets on Friday and Saturday, for a variety of Motor Vehicle Act offences during a joint road safety blitz by youth resource officers and traffic services.

They concentrated on HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes on Lougheed Highway during rush hour in both the morning and afternoon, along with construction areas, said RCMP Cpl. Alanna Dunlop.

"The youth resource officers maintain watch for safe driving in and around all of our local schools. Parents and commuters quite often get delayed with parents dropping off or picking up children at school, making it unsafe for our younger citizens," explained Dunlop.

"In addition to this, the youth resource officers are watching high-school students who have driving restrictions due to being 'New' drivers, to make sure they're not carrying more than one passenger, and they have the appropriate 'N' sticker on their vehicle," she added.

PROGRAM GETS A PLUS BY POLICE

The local Mounties are proud of their volunteer programs, including Citizens on Patrol, Speed Watch, Citizens Bike Patrol, and the auxiliary constable program.

"All programs have extremely dedicated citizens who donate their time and efforts towards keeping our communities safe," said RCMP Supt. Dave Walsh.

The local detachment currently has 15 new auxiliary constables going through training.

They have reached the half-way point, successfully completing mandatory provincial exams, and are on pace to graduate in June.

Many auxiliary constables join the program out of a sense of community pride, but many are interested in a career in policing. For three of last year's auxiliary class, this has come to fruition, as two have joined the RCMP while the third has just accepted a position with a municipal police force, explained Walsh.

"All of our volunteers give so much to our office and our community. This is especially true in regards to our auxiliary constables. They partake in many of the events that take place, ensuring traffic is not affected and families can enjoy these events," Walsh elaborated.

SENIOR REUNITED WITH FAMILY

An elderly woman who suffers from dementia was found "in good health and spirits" on Friday morning.

Local police, the RCMP helicopter Air One, and a citizen, worked together to find her.

"The woman, who has some dementia issues, was reported missing to police around 3: 30 p.m. April 13," explained Cpl. Dunlop.

"All on-duty police officers quickly joined in the search, which lasted for almost two hours. A citizen located the woman approximately two kilometres from where she had been visiting and police were able to reunite her with her family," added Dunlop.

'SUSPICIOUS' MAN ARRESTED

A 22-year-old Maple Ridge man was arrested at about 1: 30 a.m. on Saturday, when he was found carrying a concealed weapon.

Police responded to a report of a man acting suspiciously in the area of 212th Street and Wicklund Avenue. Officers found the suspect and the concealed weapon, explained Dunlop.

The man was arrested and later released on a promise to appear in court on a later date. The man was not known to police.

smclaren@mrtimes.com