Vancouver police believe that two men used a taxi as a getaway vehicle in an early0orning heist in a popular shopping district.

According to a VPD news release, an alert officer spotted the cab leaving the area of West 4th Avenue and Arbutus Street with no lights on.

This followed a report around 4:20 a.m. of windows being smashed a local store.

The cop stopped the taxi and found more than $16,000 in stolen goods inside.

John Erickson, 57, and Scott Robinson, 40, are now facing charges of break and enter and theft.

None of the allegations against them have been proven in court.