A Central Alberta man has pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges laid for crimes allegedly committed while he was out on bail on other charges.
The latest charges include obstruction for allegedly attempting to eat drugs in order to hide them from police.
Rodney Ross Arens, 36, appeared in Red Deer provincial court on Friday. He pleaded not guilty to several charges that were laid in connection to events that took place in December.
Charges include five breach of conditions, resisting a peace officer, having care and control of a vehicle while being impaired, driving while disqualified, transporting liquor, possession of stolen property, possession of 41.65 grams of cocaine, as well as Tylenol 3s and oxycodone for the purpose of trafficking, and the obstruction charge.
He elected to be tried by provincial court judge on those charges, which are scheduled for Jan. 21, 2015, in Red Deer.
The charges stem from a Dec. 21 arrest when Sylvan Lake RCMP responded to a complaint of an impaired driver. Police said they found the driver, they allege to be Arens, slumped over a steering wheel.
Arens is also heading to a Court of Queen’s Bench trial on April 22 in relation to a Canada Day 2010 collision that killed Anouluck “Jeffery” Chanminaraj, 13, and injured his older brother and sister, Jamie and Stephanie.
That trial was originally scheduled to take place in March 2013, but was cancelled a few weeks before it was to start after Arens parted company with his lawyer at the time.
He has been in custody since his Dec. 21 arrest.