OnStar remotely stops stolen SUV, man arrested

A 19-year-old man suddenly found himself stopping mid-getaway, police say, after OnStar remotely shut down the SUV he allegedly stole near Gage Park on Sunday.

Police say they were called about a stolen vehicle in the area of Dunsmure Road and Leinster Avenue South just after 10:30 p.m.

A woman told officers she was inside a home for a few minutes, and when she came back out, she found her 2017 Buick Enclave was missing with her purse and other personal belongings inside.

She told the officers she had the keys on her, but the SUV was equipped with a push start ignition. It also had an onboard OnStar monitoring service.

Police said in a news release that OnStar contacted them, and said they had located the SUV and could remotely stop it.

According to OnStar, once someone who hasthe service hasfiled a police report and once police confirm the conditions are right, the companycan send a signal to disable the stolen vehicle's engine and gradually slow it to an idle speed.

"With police officers in position, OnStar brought the vehicle to a stop in the area of Fifty Road and South Service Road [in] Stoney Creek," the news release reads.

The driver then bolted out of the SUV and ran into a nearby industrial compound, police say. Police dogs were called in, and the man was eventually found hiding underneath a trailer.

A 19-year-old Hamilton man was arrested and charged with theft over $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000, and four counts of failing to comply with his probation.