The folly of trying to flee police in stolen vehicles is apparently lost on some people.
RCMP nabbed numerous suspects over the last week who tried to make a run for it and lost.
Shortly before 7 p.m. on Sept. 26, RCMP located a man driving a stolen Ford Explorer in the Highland Green neighbourhood.
The SUV sped down an alley behind Horn Crescent, where the two male occupants abandoned it and attempted to flee police on foot. Both were taken into custody without incident; one was later released without charge.
The SUV had been reported stolen out of Bonnyville on July 12. The driver was found to be breaching his probation as well as a three-year driving prohibition order.
A 37-year-old man faces charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000, driving while disqualified and fail to comply with probation.
Last Thursday at 3:30 a.m., RCMP patrolling in Riverside Meadows neighbourhood, located a suspicious vehicle that left the area on police arrival and drove north on Taylor Drive.
RCMP located the Toyota Tundra again in the Oriole Park neighbourhood where it had been abandoned with the engine still running. Police verified the vehicle was stolen and called Police Dog Services to track the suspects.
The police dog located the first suspect nearby, hiding in some bushes, then tracked the second suspect to Kerry Wood Drive while more police officers circled ahead and arrested him.
A 36-year-old man and 40-year-old man each face one charge of possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Shortly after 11 p.m. last Thursday, RCMP responded to a report of a hit and run after a Toyota Tundra alleged to be driving at high speeds struck the back of another vehicle, hit a curb and rolled.
The truck came to rest in a treed area on the northeast side of 30th Avenue and Ross Street. The driver of the Tundra then fled the scene on foot. EMS attended and treated the driver of the other vehicle on scene.
RCMP located the driver as he made his way to his residence and arrested him without incident.
A 25-year-old man faces charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failing to remain at the scene of a collision.
Last Sunday, RCMP responded about 2 p.m. to a report of a stolen car in the Glendale neighbourhood and arrested the driver at a residence without incident. The Chevrolet Impala had been reported stolen out of Ponoka.
A 27-year-old man was charged with possession of stolen property under $5,000.
About three hours later on the same day, RCMP located a stolen car and identified its driver as the car drove through a residential area in north Red Deer.
The vehicle fled at high speed when police initiated a traffic stop; RCMP did not pursue for public safety reasons, but located the car and the suspect, who is well known to police, the next day.
A 40-year-old Red Deer man is charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, operation of a motor vehicle while being pursued by police, and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
On Tuesday morning, RCMP located a stolen car as it drove in south Red Deer about 3 a.m.. The driver refused to stop for police, who then laid a tire deflation device that flattened two tires.
The car sped away and continued south on Taylor Drive to 19 Street, where the car lost control and ran into the ditch. The suspect was arrested without further incident.
A 32-year-old Red Deer man has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, flight from police and failing to comply with conditions of release.
At 9:15 am on Tuesday, RCMP received a report of a stolen truck parked in the lot of a south-end Red Deer hotel.
RCMP attended and laid tire deflation devices at the parking lot exits. When RCMP approached the red Ford Ranger to arrest the man and woman inside, the suspects sped away, flattening all four tires as they drove over the devices.
The truck continued northbound on Gaetz Avenue to just past 55th Street, where it left Gaetz Avenue and entered the park system, coming to a stop at a stand of trees.
The occupants then fled on foot. RCMP located them as they ran east on 55th Street and took them into custody after a brief foot chase. The truck had been reported stolen out of Red Deer on Monday.
A 28-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman are facing charges.
In a non-stolen-vehicle-related case, RCMP nabbed a man after getting a report of a break and enter in progress in the Bower neighbourhood on Sept. 25.
RCMP arrested the suspect as he was leaving the house; the suspect was further alleged to have caused damage to a nearby vehicle and threatened a citizen who saw him.
A 34-year-old man is charged with break and enter, uttering threats, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with probation.
RCMP said some of these arrests were helped by residents reporting suspicious activity. More of them came from a police strategy known as Operation Pinpoint to monitor known trouble areas and keeping tabs on prolific property crime offenders.
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