Following a high-speed chase in a stolen truck on Dec. 21, St. Albert RCMP, Morinville RCMP and Edmonton Police Air Services (Air 1) arrested and charged three suspects.
Air 1 initially contacted the St. Albert detachment for help with a vehicle travelling north on Ray Gibbon Drive at a high speed. St. Albert officers spotted the vehicle travelling north on Highway 2 just south of the Highway 37 exit ramp.
When RCMP tried to pull the vehicle over, the driver instead exited toward the Highway 37 ramp and ran a stop sign before turning west down Highway 37 and turning onto the Highway 2 south exit ramp.
RCMP stopped their pursuit because of the possible danger to the public. Air 1 continued to track the vehicle and provided updates to RCMP.
The driver continued to disregard traffic control devices and drove west on numerous range roads. At this point, police realized an unknown truck was following the vehicle. Both vehicles stopped on a range road northwest of St. Albert and transferred numerous items into the truck. The driver and passenger of the vehicle jumped into the truck, abandoning the first vehicle.
Morinville RCMP were dispatched to assist St. Albert RCMP. A deflation device was successfully deployed. The truck travelled west on Highway 642 for a mile or two before stopping in the driveway of a rural residence.
Police say three occupants exited the truck and walked behind a house on the property. With the assistance of Air 1, RCMP quickly located the suspects and arrested them with incident.
Once officers searched the truck, they located numerous items including a loaded handgun with ammunition, numerous licence plates (some stolen) and personal identification that did not belong to the three arrested individuals.
In addition, RCMP found more than $10,000 in Canadian currency, illegal drugs believed to be methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and numerous cell phones.
Amy Actimichuk, 36, of St. Albert; Kurt Heitrich, 45, of Edmonton; and Mitchell Elmore, 37, of Fairview each face numerous charges.
Those charges include possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm for dangerous purposes, flight from Police, dangerous driving, failure to comply with release conditions, possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, and possession of a controlled substance.
Actimichuk and Heitrich were held for a judicial hearing and were released from custody with a cash deposit and conditions. Elmore was also held for a judicial hearing and was remanded into custody. All three are scheduled to appear in St. Albert Provincial Court on Jan. 25.
Anyone with information on this crime is asked to contact the St. Albert RCMP Detachment at 780-458-7700. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.P3Tips.com.
