Essex County OPP are crediting canine Maximus for helping find a theft suspect who was hiding in a farmer’s field.
On Aug. 31 around 1 a.m., OPP responded to a request from Windsor police for help finding a stolen Transit Windsor van being tracked by a GPS device in Lakeshore.
OPP members patrolled the area and the vehicle was seen by an officer turning onto a dead end road near County Road 25 and Highway 401.
Police say the vehicle was approached by the officer and the suspect drove off into a farm field and fled the vehicle on foot.
The canine unit and Emergency Response Team started a canine track in search of the suspect.
A short time later the suspect was found by Maximus hiding in a bean field.
The suspect was taken into custody and treated at the scene by Essex-Windsor EMS for a dog bite injury sustained during the arrest.
Steven Bene, 27, of Windsor, is scheduled to appear in a Windsor court on Sept. 24 charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
