Two St. Albert residents and one Edmonton resident have been charged with break and enter and possession of stolen property in relation to thefts of a valuable car part in St. Albert.
St. Albert RCMP said officers attended the Riel Industrial Park Sunday at around 2:45 a.m. to check on a suspicious person. During an investigation on Rayborn Crescent, the officers located two women and one man, along with various tools commonly used in catalytic converter thefts, some stolen catalytic converters and a small quantity of drugs. All three were arrested, and one of them additionally faces a drug charge.
Michael Rolof, 29, and Tanya Runzer, 31, both of St. Albert, were charged along with Rachelle Wingrove, 35, of Edmonton. They appeared in court Monday and their charges were set over to November.
"Although St. Albert RCMP is pleased with the results of this investigation, we can't reduce crime in St. Albert on our own," said St. Albert RCMP Cpl. Laurel Kading in a news release.
"The RCMP will continue to do everything we can to keep St. Albert safe, but property crimes are a community issue that needs a community solution. The RCMP cannot solve crimes or lower crime rates without the cooperation of the community, which includes reporting suspicious activities and following the #9PM Routine. It's 9PM. Have you secured your property for the night?"
Reports of catalytic converter thefts spiked in September and October, prompting a warning from the RCMP earlier this month. In September, there were 11 reports of thefts, and by mid-October there had been five reports of thefts, with three thefts or attempted thefts happening in the same week.
If you have information about this crime, call St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700. If you would like to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), online at p3tips.com, or with the P3 Tips app. Crime Stoppers does not collect information about your identity. A tip leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
