OLDS — A 36-year-old Red Deer man faces 22 charges in connection with an incident involving two stolen vehicles -- one of which was a truck from Olds – and some dangerous, erratic driving on Highway 1.
According to police, neither vehicle owner even knew their vehicle was missing until RCMP informed them.
The incident began Aug. 14 at about 2:30 a.m., said RCMP in a news release issued today, Aug. 25.
A Strathmore RCMP officer noticed a U-Haul truck, along with a pickup truck and travel trailer, stopped at an on-ramp to Highway 1.
The lights on the travel trailer appeared to be out, said police, so the officer stopped to offer assistance to the driver pulling the travel trailer.
When the driver realized that the vehicle behind him was a police car, police said he drove off quickly, as did the other suspect vehicle.
The officer tried to stop both vehicles but was forced to give up, due to what RCMP described as an “erratic driving pattern.”
A police helicopter was called in to help, observing the suspects’ path from the air.
The truck turned around and headed westbound toward Strathmore. Another RCMP officer spotted it and tried to stop it but again had to give up, as the driver “began swaying across both lanes of travel,” the release said.
The truck and travel trailer were abandoned in Strathmore and police say the driver got into the U-Haul truck.
That truck eventually stopped and both occupants fled on foot. Police say one person was arrested with the help of the helicopter and a police dog.
An investigation revealed the travel trailer, worth about $40,000 was stolen from an RV dealership in Calgary.
The pickup truck, valued at about $24,000 was determined to have been stolen in Olds.
“Both owners were unaware of the thefts before police contacted them,” the release said.
The U-Haul was overdue to be returned and was filled with property police say is believed to be stolen.
As a result of the arrest and investigation, Devon Tanner, 36, last known to live in Red Deer, was held for a hearing on 22 charges which include:
• two charges of flight from peace officer;
• dangerous operation of a motor vehicle;
• nine charges of failing to comply with a release condition;
• three charges of failing to comply with a probation order;
• possession of a controlled substance;
• two charges of possession of property obtained by crime and worth more than $5,000;
• driving an uninsured motor vehicle on a highway;
• driving while unauthorized;
• possession of break-in tools; and
• pulling a trailer with no working signal lamps.
As of Aug. 25, Tanner remained in custody and the investigation regarding the other suspect and the incident as a whole is ongoing.
Also ongoing are efforts to identify the owners of the alleged stolen property in the U-Haul.
Strathmore RCMP detachment commander Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz thanked all the officers involved in the matter, saying it reflects efforts by police to keep residents safe and to deter crime.
“In this case, being observant resulted in the recovery of a significant value of items which were returned to their owners, and one of the offenders involved at this time will face charges,” he said in the news release.
