CHESTERMERE – On Nov. 30 around 1:55 a.m., the Calgary Police Service alerted members of the Chestermere RCMP that a stolen vehicle was being followed out of the city into Chestermere.
A short time later, it was relayed to the RCMP that the suspected stolen vehicle, a Chrysler Concord, had crashed into the large rock sign along Rainbow Road near Our Lady of Wisdom School. It was reported that the had driver fled from the crash on foot.
Members of the Calgary Police Service, Chestermere RCMP and Strathmore RCMP, along with a police service dog from the Calgary Police Service, tracked the fleeing suspect from the scene of the crash in what was reported as “blinding winter weather conditions.” Officers were able to track the suspect by following his footprints in the snow, as well as with the help of the police service dog.
The tracking was conducted over a period of two hours, moving north bound from the collision scene through the Westmere residential area, across West Merganser Drive, before ending west of town at a farm yard on the outskirts of Chestermere.
After a search of the property, the suspect was eventually found hiding in a doghouse in the yard, and was quickly arrested without incident.
The 43-year-old male suspect, who resides in Calgary, Alberta, was returned to Calgary and will be charged by the Calgary Police Service with a number of offences including theft of vehicle and flight from police. This suspect was well-known to the Calgary Police Service for prior vehicle thefts and at the time was outstanding on a number of arrest warrants.
There were no damages to the rock sign on Rainbow Road, and no injuries resulted from the incident.
If anyone has any information in this crime or any other please contact the Chestermere RCMP at 403-204-8777 or Crime Stoppers at tel:1-800-222-8477 or through the internet at www.tipsubmit.com. Crime stoppers will pay cash rewards up to $2,000 for information that leads to an arrest, the recovery of stolen property or seizure of illegal drugs. Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to call display and the identity of the caller will remain anonymous.
