INNISFAIL - RCMP have laid robbery with violence charges against a Penhold man after responding to a home invasion at an Innisfail-area rural residence.
At about 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 16, Innisfail RCMP received a complaint of a robbery that had just occurred on a rural property northeast of town in Red Deer County. Innisfail RCMP, with the assistance of Innisfail integrated Freeway Patrol officers, responded immediately.
Innisfail RCMP Sgt. Lori Eiler said the female victim reported that a man knocked on the door of her residence. When she answered he forced his way into the home, assaulted her and took the keys to her truck, said Eiler.
The robber then exited the home and the victim followed him. Eiler said the victim then asked the robber to return her purse.
"She (victim) said, 'can I please have my purse from my truck. Please don't leave with my purse. I need my purse,'" said Eiler. "She tried to get her purse and then he robbed her a second time for all the cash in the purse," said Eiler.
The robber then fled the property in the victim's truck. Eiler said the victim sustained minor injuries.
She said the truck was equipped with OnStar and RCMP were able to track it to a location in Red Deer. She said the Central Alberta Integrated Crime Reduction Unit, with the assistance of the Red Deer Police Dog Services Unit, located the vehicle and arrested a lone male occupant without incident.
"This is an excellent example of RCMP units working together to combat rural crime," said Eiler. "It was a good use of police resources. We descended on it quickly, and within an hour we had somebody under arrest."
Lyle Whitesel, 36, whose last known address was in Penhold, is facing two counts of robbery with violence, possession of stolen property over $5,000, break and enter, possessing a false identity document, possession of break and enter tools, resisting arrest, obstruction, possession of stolen property under $5,000, and three counts of breaching a recognizance.
Whitesel is known to local Mounties. He was picked up by police last April in connection to a rural break and enter near Highway 54 and Rge. Rd. 45.
Whitesel was remanded in custody from the latest incident and is scheduled to appear in Red Deer provincial court on Oct. 24.
