News release

Clarenville RCMP and Police Dog Marlow track down stolen truck, arrest two wanted men

September 10, 2025 - Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador
From: Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP

Content

Police Service Dog (PSD) Marlow assisted Clarenville RCMP with the arrest of two wanted individuals early Saturday morning, after police responded to intrusion alarms at multiple local businesses and an attempted break and enter at a residence.

Shortly before midnight on September 5, Clarenville RCMP responded to alarms at two businesses along Shoal Harbour Drive. The first report brought police to a break, enter and theft of a retail store. A short time later, officers attended a nearby used vehicle dealership, and found damages caused to the exterior of the building.

The dealership confirmed that a newer model Ford F-250 Lariat pickup truck was missing from the lot. A witness in the area told officers that a vehicle matching that description was seen leaving the business at a high rate of speed.

A short time later, Clarenville RCMP received a report of a suspicious, abandoned white pickup truck in Stanley Crescent. Police confirmed the vehicle was the stolen pickup truck and engaged Police Dog Services.

PSD Marlow and her handler conducted a search of the area and quickly located 38-year-old James Henry Perry in a wooded area nearby. Perry was wanted on several outstanding warrants for his arrest, across multiple policing jurisdictions, including:

• Bonavista RCMP: assault with a weapon against a police officer, break and enter, vehicle theft, flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle,
• Whitbourne RCMP: break and enter and theft over $5,000,
• Bay d’Espoir RCMP: break and enter, mischief, theft under $5,000
• Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) - failure to comply with a Probation Order.

A further search of the area located a newly broken window at a residential building. Police located another wanted man, 34-year-old Mitchell Spurrell, during a search of that location. Spurrell was wanted by Lewisporte RCMP for failing to attend court in relation to criminal charges of failure to comply with his probation and theft.

Spurrell appeared before the courts over the weekend on his outstanding warrants and new charges including possession of property obtained by crime, and failure to comply with each a Probation Order and a Release Order. He was remanded into custody and will appear in court next on September 10, 2025.

Perry appeared before the courts over the weekend on his outstanding warrants and a new charge of possession of property obtained by crime. He appears in Clarenville Provincial Court next on October 2.

The investigation is ongoing with additional charges possible.

Background:

https://rcmp.ca/en/nl/news/2025/09/update-arrest-warrant-issued-james-perry

https://rcmp.ca/en/nl/news/2025/09/bonavista-rcmp-officer-struck-stolen-vehicle-fleeing-traffic-stop-man-arrested-and-charged 

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