Ponoka RCMP made several arrests recently including one involving a stolen vehicle.
A 31 year-old Red Deer was arrested on Oct. 15 and faces charges including flight from police, dangerous driving, resisting arrest, driving while unauthorized, mischief, vehicle theft and four counts of failure to comply with a court order.
That day, police received a number of 911 calls regarding the erratic driving of a yellow Sunfire, which matched the description of a reported stolen vehicle from Lacombe. After officers located the vehicle, a man got out and ran, but wound up being caught a short time later.
Ponoka RCMP were also caught up in pair of strange incidents that took place on Oct. 19.
Officers were called to a local fast food restaurant to find a woman had started a fire on a picnic table outside the business. The 29 year-old woman from Slave Lake is now facing charges of mischief over $5,000, disturbing the peace and arson.
In the other incident, police responded to a local grocery story to follow up on a shoplifting complaint in progress.
By the time officers arrived, the suspects had left. However, video surveillance caught a man and woman leaving the store with a cart filled with groceries and both were recognized by the officers. A black backpack though had been left behind by the man and was taken by the officers.
Unfortunately for both of the suspects, the man went to the RCMP detachment the next day to retrieve his backpack and was promptly arrested. Meanwhile, other officers went outside and arrested the woman, who was waiting for the man to come out of the detachment. Each suspect has now been charged with theft under $5,000.
Police also responded Oct. 15 to some mailboxes taken off their base and left in the ditch along Secondary Hwy. 795, however no suspects or witnesses have been located.
Meanwhile, K Division (Alberta) RCMP released some startling statistics from the Thanksgiving Day long weekend enforcement Operation Impact.
From Oct. 11 to 14, RCMP dished out more than 4,400 tickets for aggressive driving and speeding to go along with 106 seatbelt tickets and 90 for distracted driving. Police saw 272 collisions that also involved 18 pedestrian injuries and four fatalities.
Any one having information on these or any other crime are asked to call the Ponoka detachment at (403) 783-4472. Those wanting to remain anonymous can call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or go online to www.tipsubmit.com. Tipsters do not have to reveal their identity and if the information leads to an arrest, the person may qualify for a reward of up to $2,000.