A police officer got a surprise early Tuesday morning while checking a Chilliwack tow truck company's impound lot for signs of crime.

After speaking to an AJ's Towing driver who had reported a high incident of property crime in the company's tow yard, a pair of RCMP officers conducted a foot patrol of the Nowell Street facility.

The Mounties walked the yard and looked inside the various cars for

problems. As one officer shone his flashlight into a vehicle, a man jumped up from the back seat, where he was apparently attempting to steal the vehicle's stereo.

The 26-year-old Chilliwack resident was arrested. Crown will be considering charges, according to police.

"As a police officer, you really have no idea what you can be faced with on patrol in the middle of the night," RCMP spokesperson Const. Tracy Wolbeck said. "This would have come as a huge surprise to the officer and thankfully the suspect was arrested without incident."