Six teenage boys from the Rocky Mountain House-area are facing charges in connection with a rash of vehicle and quad thefts.
The youths, aged between 15 and 17, are facing 56 charges ranging from robbery and break and enter to possession of stolen property.
An investigation began on June 3 when RCMP received reports of a vehicle and several all-terrain vehicles stolen from the Farrier Acres subdivision just outside Rocky Mountain House.
The stolen vehicle was found abandoned on a small trail in a rural area northwest of Rocky. Fresh ATV tracks led an officer to six of the popular vehicles, which had been reported stolen from the Rocky and Drayton Valley areas.
A tow truck driver, called in to remove the stolen vehicles, was threatened with pepper spray by a suspect who fled when police arrived.
Rocky Sgt. Mike Numan said quad thefts have been an ongoing problem.
“It kind of goes in waves,” said Numan. “It seems to be a fun thing to do for a certain group of kids.”
Police believe the suspects nabbed are habitual offenders and it is hoped a dent has been made in the problem locally. There have been no ATV thefts reported since the latest charges.
Numan said Rocky is not unique when it comes to ATV thefts. Police in Sundre, Drayton Valley and other communities are also facing the same issue.
“Quads are a big thing right now. They’re worth a lot of money and people have figured out they are easy to steal.”
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com