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Accused in paintball incident accepts plea deal

One of three adult suspects accused in a paintball caper earlier this year has accepted a plea deal and will be sentenced in January.

One of three adult suspects accused in a paintball caper earlier this year has accepted a plea deal and will be sentenced in January.

Red Deer City RCMP were called to complaints of a young man shooting paintballs at the Tim Hortons on Gaetz Avenue and 67th Street late in the evening on March 14.

Shortly after, police got reports of four people in a white pickup truck shooting paintballs at a woman who had been standing outside the Boston Pizza, seven blocks further north.

Minutes later, police were called to a nearby McDonald’s Restaurant, where it was reported that a masked man shot two workers with paintballs before fleeing the scene with other suspects.

Police tracked down the truck and four suspects, alleging that they found two paintball markers inside the vehicle.

Arrested on numerous charges were one youth and adults Ashley Young, 19, Lucas Andreef, 20, and Justin Calderbank, 18.

The three adults were jointly charged with a variety of offences, including mischief and assault with a weapon.

In Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday, Calderbank pleaded guilty to a reduced list of charges, including three counts of assault with a weapon and one count of mischief.

The remaining charges are to be withdrawn at sentencing.

At the request of case resolution officer Murray Shack, sentencing has been adjourned to Jan. 7 to allow time for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Andreef and Young, whose charges have been severed from those facing Calderbank, pleaded not guilty earlier and are scheduled to stand trial in Red Deer provincial court on April 28.

Separate proceedings are underway for the youth, who cannot be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.