Ottawa police arrest 2 men after vehicle owner receives alert their car was moving

Red and blue lights atop an Ottawa police vehicle are seen in this undated file photo.

Police hit the brakes on a vehicle theft in Ottawa’s south end, after the vehicle’s owner received an alert that their vehicle was moving.

Two men are in custody after police responded to the reported vehicle theft at 8:42 a.m. Tuesday.

“A vehicle owner received an alert that their vehicle was moving. However, they were not the driver,” the Ottawa Police Service said on X.

“They immediately called 911 and were able to direct responding officers to a specific location not far from where the vehicle was originally stolen.”

Police say two men were arrested after a brief foot pursuit and the vehicle will be returned to its owner.

A police spokesperson told CTV News Ottawa that the investigation continues.

According to the Ottawa Police Service’s crime map, 98 vehicle thefts have been reported so far in 2025.

Eleven of the 98 vehicle thefts have been reported in the Gloucester-Southgate ward, and nine thefts have been reported in College, Bay and Orléans South-Navan wards.