At 5:15 a.m. on March 15th, three male suspects wearing bandannas to disguise their identities and one armed with a sawed-off shotgun, entered the Lacombe Motor Inn along Hwy. 2A in Lacombe.
Once inside, they removed various pieces of computerized equipment and cash from the premises. The employee working at the front desk successfully locked himself in the office and was not harmed.
The first suspect is a Caucasian male, 6’ tall with an average build. He was wearing a hooded jacket, blue jeans, darker skate style shoes with while soles and a multi-coloured bandanna.
The second suspect is a Caucasian male, 5’ 8” tall with an average build. He was wearing a distinctive white hoodie with patterned blue sleeves and words on the left chest, baggy blue jeans and tan coloured skate style shoes.
The third suspect is a Caucasian male, 5’ 7” tall with a slender build. He was wearing a distinctive white hoodie with shiny black sleeves and three horizontal stripes on the left chest, baggy blue jeans and dark skate style shoes. This suspect was armed with a sawed-off shotgun.
Anyone with any information regarding the identity of these individuals should contact the Lacombe Police Service at 403-782-3279 or Crime Stoppers.
POLICE SEARCH FOR MISSING WOMAN
Blackfalds RCMP received a call for assistance on March 13th to locate a 68-year-old woman, Roze Burk, who is missing from an address in Red Deer County. She was last seen by a friend at 8:30 p.m. at the CO-OP in Deer Park on March 12th.
Burk is described as a Caucasian female, 5’6” tall and 119 lbs. She has blue eyes (usually wears eye glasses) and white hair.
She is believed to be driving a 2008 Grey Ford Escape SUV, bearing Alberta licence plate GCA091.
Burk is also believed to have her West Highland Terrier dog with her. The dog has shaggy white hair.
The Blackfalds RCMP are requesting the public’s assistance with any information that might help to determine the whereabouts of Burk.
Contact the Blackfalds RCMP Detachment at 403-885-3333, local police or Crime Stoppers with any information on her whereabouts.
YOUTHS ARRESTED FOR ROBBERIES
Red Deer RCMP have arrested and charged four male Blackfalds youths in relation to a recent string of armed robberies in Red Deer and surrounding area.
The youths, who cannot be named, appeared in court on March 13th in Red Deer.
Each youth is facing a series of armed robbery and weapon charges.
The Priority Crimes Task Force arrested the four youth on March 12th, building on the arrest of one male youth earlier in the week by the Blackfalds RCMP.
The four youths arrested on March 13th have been charged in relation to armed robberies in Red Deer on Feb. 21st at a Fas Gas, Feb. 24th at Corral Foods, Feb. 27th at an Express 24, a Feb. 13th armed robbery in Blackfalds at an Esso and three more armed robberies from Nov. 17th in Blackfalds.
Anyone with information that will assist RCMP in investigating these or other armed robberies in the region is asked to call the Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
THREE ARRESTED AFTER EVADING POLICE
Two Red Deer men and a female youth were arrested on March 11th after attempts to evade Red Deer, Blackfalds and Lacombe police ended with the suspects ramming a police vehicle and then getting stuck in a snowy ditch.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m., Red Deer RCMP on patrol noted a Grand Cherokee jeep with a stolen license plate driving north on Gaetz Avenue.
When RCMP activated their emergency lights, the jeep did not stop and continued northbound, running a number of red lights. RCMP did not pursue due to public safety concerns; however, a member of the Priority Crimes Task Force was nearby in an unmarked police vehicle and tracked the jeep at a distance. As the jeep continued onto Hwy. 2A, Blackfalds RCMP and Lacombe Police Service assisted Red Deer RCMP by setting up a roadblock at the north end of C&E Trail and preparing to lay a tire deflation device.
When RCMP again activated their emergency lights, the jeep attempted to evade the roadblock by ramming a Lacombe Police vehicle. At that point, the jeep drove into a ditch and got stuck in the snow.
The three suspects were arrested without further incident by the cooperating police services, and the police officer in the vehicle that was rammed did not sustain serious injury. A subsequent search of the jeep by Red Deer RCMP located a quantity of crystal meth, a fake handgun and several items of stolen property.
Two 21-year-old Red Deer men and a 17-year-old Red Deer girl will face a number of charges as a result of these events.