RED DEER COUNTY – Five stolen vehicles have been recovered and three people are facing a total of 47 charges following a multi police unit and intelligence-led rural operation that included Innisfail RCMP.
RCMP Corp. Laurel Scott, of the force’s media relations group, described the takedown of the three suspects as a “good bust” and important for the RCMP’s ongoing mission to battle rural crime.
“These people were on our radar. They are already bound by other conditions and prohibitions for offences that occurred in Central Alberta, and are facing 47 new charges, so from that perspective it is a pretty good bust,” said Scott, emphasizing there was substantial work done by many RCMP units to ensure a successful operation.
She said the rural takedown operation began on Oct. 14 when Innisfail RCMP enlisted the assistance of the Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (CAD CRU) on the investigation into a property east of Penhold that was known to be the target of several community complaints related to suspicious activity.
The subjects associated to that property were known to RCMP to be repeat offenders throughout various detachments in Central Alberta, said Scott.
She said for the next two days the CAD CRU gathered information on the subjects.
On Oct. 15, the CAD CRU, Innisfail Detachment General Investigation Section and the Red Deer Crime Reduction Team worked together and determined that one of the subjects from the property was in breach of a probation order, said Scott.
She said RCMP also established the suspects were driving a stolen vehicle and were in possession of a second. One vehicle was previously stolen from Delburne and the other from Red Deer, said Scott.
She said the vehicles were stopped and the drivers were arrested by the RCMP without incident.
Scott said a search of their persons led the RCMP to seize what is believed to be methamphetamine, bear spray, an imitation handgun and break and enter tools.
She said a search warrant was obtained for the property on South Pine Lake Road, 35 kilometres east of Penhold, and was executed on Oct. 16 with the assistance of the Calgary Auto Theft Unit.
Scott said a search of the property led to the recovery of three additional stolen vehicles, stolen licence plates and ammunition.
At the time of the arrests, Bryce Edward Hagen, 31, believed to be from Red Deer, was bound by a probation order in relation to an assault conviction and Jordan James Dempster, 24, who is believed to be from Calgary, was bound by two separate weapon prohibitions and on probation in relation to assault and weapon convictions, she said.
Scott said a total of 47 new criminal code charges were laid against Hagen, Dempster and 30-year-old Sara Joy Hollar, who is believed to be from Red Deer. One prohibited weapon was seized and five stolen vehicles were recovered, she said.
Hollar, Dempster and Hagen are all scheduled to appear in Red Deer provincial court on Dec. 8, 2020.
“A lot of different units provided expertise on this file including the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods, Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team, RCMP Police Dog Services, RCMP Emergency Response Team, and RCMP Auto Theft Unit,” said Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt. Chris Matechuk. “Our ability to utilize such diverse resources creates an efficient response to rural crime in central Alberta.”
