A Red Deer man will be busy in two different Alberta courts in early March.
Earl Charles Bruyea, 22, reserved his plea Thursday until March 4 in Valleyview provincial court on charges of possession of stolen property valued at more than $5,000, flight from police while being pursued, dangerous driving and assault with a weapon.
Bruyea was charged Jan. 29 in the Grande Prairie area after a man allegedly stole a semi truck and led police on a short chase. The semi was reported to be reaching speeds between 124 and 138 km/h on a two-lane stretch of highway going through the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation reserve.
Police located the stolen truck — with no trailer attached — as it entered Valleyview town limits on Hwy 43 and signalled for the driver to pull over. The semi pulled to the right shoulder of the road but fled as the initiating officer opened his door. A short pursuit began with speeds reaching 90 km/h.
A spike belt was set up on Hwy 43. Upon nearing the spike belt, the driver of the semi directed the truck toward the parked police vehicle but turned at the last moment back into the driving lane, RCMP said.
Bruyea also faces 13 separate charges in Red Deer, including three counts of break and enter, four counts of possession of stolen property valued at more than $5,000 and five counts of possession of stolen property valued at less than $5,000. He is to appear in Red Deer provincial court on March 2.
He was charged along with another man on Dec. 1 after RCMP recovered $250,000 worth of stolen property at several Central Alberta sites.
Jason Paul Penney, 36, returns to provincial court Feb. 17 to enter a plea on three charges of possession of stolen property valued at more than $5,000 each.
Police said earlier they recovered $250,000 in stolen property — including numerous vehicles — after search warrants were executed.
The search warrants were executed on a campsite at Burntstick Lake, and residences in Delburne and Red Deer.
Police recovered property reported stolen from Rocky Mountain House, Innisfail, Delburne, Red Deer and the Red Deer rural area.