Red Deer RCMP arrested a man with a stolen truck at the Village Mall on Thursday afternoon after a citizen reported recognizing the truck from social media.
Police located the suspect in a store. When officers approached he attempted to flee the store, then resisted arrest. One officer sustained minor injuries.
Police seized what was believed to be methamphetamine, and more than $2,500 in cash. The suspect also had equipment stolen from a Red Deer RCMP police cruiser that was broken into and vandalized overnight on April 26 while the cruiser was parked in a locked compound for repair.
The stolen Dodge Ram truck was reported stolen from Lacombe in April and was linked to a number of crimes in Red Deer and Red Deer County.
“Stolen vehicles are almost always linked to multiple crimes across police jurisdictions, and files like this demonstrate the importance of connected and collaborative police work through partnerships like the Priority Crimes Task Force,” said Red Deer RCMP Const. Derek Turner.
“This also highlights the importance of public support – the person who recognized the stolen truck and called it in put a stop to a specific chain of criminal activity, and RCMP are grateful for that public support.”
A 24-year-old man was charged with two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, two counts of assaulting a peace officer and one count of resisting a peace officer.
He was wanted on three outstanding warrants out of Sylvan Lake for driving dangerously while fleeing police, possession of stolen property and theft under $5,000 so police were actively looking for him.
The man made his first court appearance in Red Deer provincial court today.