Ponoka RCMP have been investigating a series of criminal actions in and around the Lacombe and Ponoka area. As a result - there is an arrest warrant in place for one 31-year-old male, and one 19-year-old male has been charged:
WANTED - MACDONALD, Matthew Robert John
CHARGED – BLACK, Spencer Collin
On December 13th Ponoka RCMP received a complaint from a local dealership that a GMC Sierra vehicle was stolen from their parking lot. Police were able to locate the vehicle near Bashaw where it had became disabled after being involved in collision with a fence. The suspect was witnessed fleeing the scene by RCMP members. Members of the Ponoka, Bashaw, and Stettler RCMP detachments, with assistance of Police Dog Services, tracked the suspect to a nearby farm where a Dodge Ram had been stolen.
On December 14th at approximately 3:45 a.m. Ponoka RCMP noticed a maroon truck going north bound on 46th street that failed to stop at a stop sign. When police attempted to stop the truck, it fled at an estimated speed of 190 Km/hour.
At approximately 4:05 AM the Ponoka RCMP received a complaint of two males on a rural property located on Range Road 263 checking the doors of outbuildings. The suspects then left in a Chevrolet truck. When the complainant went outside to check his property he could hear the truck north of his residence and advised police that the truck sounded as if it was stuck.
Police arrived and located a Maroon truck stuck in the snow at on Township 424 in the Ponoka County which had been abandoned by the suspects. The Maroon Chevrolet truck was reported stolen from Lacombe on December 10. A stolen License plate was also located on the truck which was off a stolen vehicle. Further investigation by the Ponoka RCMP revealed that the suspects had since stolen a silver Chevrolet Silverado truck was then stolen from that same residence after abandoning the maroon truck.
At 5:23 AM police were called to a Ponoka tow yard advising that the yard had been broken into and a white Ford 350 truck was stolen. The complainant stated that he had attended the yard in response to an alarm and parked his vehicle in front of the gate, however, the white Ford F350 truck rammed through the gate, hitting the complainant’s vehicle, causing damage to his gate and truck. The vehicle then reversed and drove through the fence at the east side of the yard.
At 6:06 AM Ponoka RCMP received a complaint that a white truck, matching the description of the Ford F350 stolen from the tow yard, was stuck in the ditch located on Range Road 252 near Ponoka. The complaint advised that a male with the truck was requesting a tow from the ditch and was acting abnormally. A Ponoka RCMP member attended and was advised by the complaint that the male ran into a nearby farm yard. Police searched the farm yard and located one male suspect identified as 19 year old Spencer BLACK, a resident of Joffre, Alberta. BLACK was also found to be in possession of break and enter tools as well as a prohibited weapon (switch blade knife).
BLACK was charged with a total of 45 criminal offences consisting of:
- Three counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000
- Five counts of Adult Driving While Disqualified
- Two counts of Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Twenty-one counts of Failure to Comply with Conditions
- Two counts of Theft Over $5000
- Two counts of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
- One count of Operation of a Motor Vehicle While being Pursued by Police
- Three counts of Trespass at Night
- One count of Breaking out (after committing) of a business
- One count of Failure to Stop or Remain – Person Injured
- One count of Adult Disguised with intent to commit offence
- Two counts of Adult carrying a concealed weapon
- 1 count of Mischief to property.
Further investigation by the Ponoka RCMP revealed the identity of a second suspect, 31 year old Matthew Robert John MACDONALD (a resident of Lacombe, Alberta). Police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of MACDONALD for the following 14 criminal offences:
MACDONALD was charged with:
- Six counts of Failing to Comply with Conditions of his Recognizance
- Two counts of Theft Over $5000
- Two counts of Driving While Disqualified
- Two counts of Trespassing at Night
- One count of Breaking, Entering and Committing Theft over $5000.
- One count of mischief.
The Ponoka RCMP are continuing this investigation and are requesting the public's assistance in locating Matthew Robert John MACDONALD for these crimes.
Anyone with any information in regards to this individual is asked to contact their locale police or they can contact the Ponoka RCMP Detachment at 403-783-4472 or to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by internet at www.tipsubmit.com. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers, and if you provide information to Crime Stoppers that leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.
-Mendonsa