EDMONTON — RCMP say they’re worried for the well-being of a 27-year-old criminal has not been seen since jumping into a river to evade police on Tuesday morning.
While conducting a search on Crown land 15 kilometres south of Drayton Valley around 6:30 a.m., officers found a variety of stolen items valued at thousands of dollars, including a jet boat, vehicles, ATVs and trailers.
As police approached one holiday trailer, two men in their 20s ran out and fled to the nearby North Saskatchewan River. One man made it across and took off, while the other was swept downstream.
Mounties arrested Jesse Arthur Proulx, of no fixed address, near Drayton Valley around 4 p.m. The second man, who is still missing and now wanted, has been identified as Duncan Laird, 27, also of no fixed address.
Laird also has arrest warrants from numerous charges out of Killam, Alberta. RCMP continue to search for him using a boat on the river and from the air.
Sgt. Corey Kyle of the Thorsby-Breton detachment says jumping into a river is a “very dangerous way to evade police.”
“The low temperature and fast current of the river makes it incredibly hazardous to attempt to cross.”
He’s described as 6′ tall, 220 lbs with a light complexion and dark clothing.
The RCMP Auto Theft Unit and RCMP Forensic Services are dealing with the original stolen goods criminal investigation. Both men are charged with 19 counts of possession of stolen property. In addition, Proulx has been charged with resist arrest, breach of probation and fail to comply.
Police said the initial investigation came as a result of tips from the public.
“If it wasn’t for their assistance in reporting suspicious activity, it may have went undetected, said Sergeant Corey Kyle, Thorsby/Breton Detachment Commander.
“The RCMP encourage members of our rural communities to provide these tips which greatly assist solving these types of crimes.”
Proulx remains in police custody and is scheduled to appear in Breton Provincial Court on June 10.
With files from The Canadian Press
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