Trial dates have been set for two of three people charged earlier this spring with multiple offences — including firearm infractions, narcotics and obstruction — after a tip from the public enabled local police to nab the suspects.
The accused had been observed on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 15 behaving suspiciously in the parking lot of Home Hardware, on Sundre’s west side, prompting an employee to report the situation. The Sundre RCMP responded to the complaint, arriving on the scene shortly afterwards.
Police located a vehicle that was backed into a stall with three people milling about. Two males and a female provided false names to officers but the members were able to determine their true identities, RCMP reported following the incident.
“The two males were wanted in connection to a carjacking in Drayton Valley that occurred a few days prior and the female had numerous arrest warrants out of various jurisdictions,” police said.
“All three were arrested for their outstanding warrants which included robbery, weapons offences and fraud.”
A subsequent search of the suspects’ vehicle yielded illegal drugs as well as weapons, and the vehicle was seized. All three were charged with numerous criminal offences and brought before a justice of the peace where they were remanded into custody to speak to their allegations in Didsbury provincial court.
According to information provided last week by a provincial media court check email correspondence system, Braidon Ophus, 23, from Calgary, has been scheduled for trial on Nov. 12 in Drayton Valley provincial court. Ophus faces many charges including: unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; possession of cocaine; obstruction; six counts of failure to comply with condition of a recognizance; and two counts of breaching a weapons prohibition.
Shawn Freake, 24, from Drayton Valley, was also scheduled for trial, and is to appear in Drayton Valley provincial court on Jan. 16. Freake was charged with: unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; possession of cocaine; and obstruction.
Kiara Num, 19, from Red Deer, was scheduled to make an appearance for plea in Didsbury provincial court yesterday, on Aug. 19. An update was unavailable before press deadline. Num was charged with: unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; possession of cocaine; obstruction; and three counts of failure to comply with a condition of a recognizance.
