1 charged after van stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Monday

Photos of a van stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Dec. 23, 2024. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

One person has been arrested after a van was stolen from Edmonton's Food Bank on Monday.

The van was stolen from the food bank loading dock at 115 Avenue and 120 Street while it was being prepared to pick up donations for the day.

Using the van's GPS tracking device, police were able to locate it in the area of an alley at 104 Street and 119 Avenue.

When officers found the van, they saw a man painting over the food bank decals.

When he saw police, he got back in the van and tried to drive away, but the vehicle became stuck in the snow.

Police determined the paint he was using was acrylic paint that had also been stolen from a nearby store.

The 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle, theft under $5,000, mischief under $5,000 and uttering threats.

Marjorie Bencz, the executive director of Edmonton's Food Bank, says the organization's trucks are an important part of its operations.

"Our organization is going at full capacity all the time, and our staff and our volunteers are under extreme pressure. And of course, our trucks are an important piece of our work, because it enables us to do pickups throughout the city, and also enables us to deliver food throughout the city," she told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

"So for us to have one be stolen two days before Christmas was a real challenge for our organization."

Bencz says no food was taken during the theft, and the food bank was able to clean the paint off of its truck.

Edmonton's Food Bank is currently in the midst of its annual holiday food drive.

Bencz says the drive is 67 per cent of the way to its monetary goal of $4.5 million and 67 per cent of the way to its food donation goal.

"(It) is a little lower than we would like to see it. So we're hoping people will go down to Candy Cane Lane drop off a donation of non perishable food when they go down the lane over the next few days, as well as, of course, if you're out doing your grocery shopping, we have bins for non perishable donations at all major grocery stores," she said.

You can also donate to Edmonton's Food Bank online.