Four people are facing a slew of charges after their alleged involvement in a kidnapping, and several vehicle thefts earlier this month.
Elk Point RCMP was first alerted to the situation following a report of a theft of a motor vehicle and kidnapping on February 8th. According to authorities, an adult victim had been sleeping in the backseat of an SUV when it was stolen from a gas station in Elk Point. The victim awoke to find a stranger driving the vehicle, and despite pleading with the suspect to stop, the perpetrator continued driving. Fortunately, the victim managed to escape when the suspect briefly reduced speed.
Further investigation revealed the involvement of multiple suspects in the theft. The stolen vehicle was later parked in Clandonald, where RCMP officers apprehended three suspects without incident.
Break-ins were reported in Derwent and a residence south of Beauvallon, where one suspect nearly struck a resident, Despite RCMP intervention the suspect evaded arrest and stole another vehicle from the same residence.
The pursuit continued to a third residence near Highway 870 and Highway 631, where the suspect attempted yet another vehicle theft. The RCMP officers resorted to vehicle contact to disable the stolen vehicle and prevent further offences.
The suspect then fled to a shop where they stole a fourth vehicle, ramming police vehicles in the process. The pursuit finally ended near the Saddle Lake Cree Nation townsite, thanks to the tire deflation device deployed by St. Paul RCMP.
In total, four individuals have been charged in connection with the incident. Cormac Crawford, 26, Kiyana Hunter,25, and Britanny Gosselin-Redcrow, 18, all residents of St. Paul, face charges of kidnapping and theft of a motor vehicle. Preston Halfe, 26, a resident of Goodfish Lake, has been charged with a staggering 22 criminal code offences, including multiple counts of kidnapping, lefts of motor vehicles, mischief, and break and enter.
While Crawford, Hunter, and Halfe remain in custody, Gosselin-Redcrow has been released pending further proceedings. All four will appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in St. Paul on February 15.
“The suspects put countless lives at risk on his criminal rampage, victimizing numerous individuals along the way,” stated Sgt. Bobby Burgess of St. Pual RCMP detachment. “Our members did everything possible to prevent the continuation of the offences, ensure public safety, and bring this series of events to a timely, safe conclusion.”
Editors note: The original version of this article indicated three people were charged. It has been updated to correctly state four people have been charged as a result of these incidents.