Police have arrested five men and recovered over $180,000 worth of stolen property in connection with a string of vehicle thefts in Calgary.
Investigators said a total of six stolen vehicles were recovered, worth more than $150,000.
The Calgary Police Service said in a statement that an investigation was launched after its Auto Theft District Operations Team (DOT) located a stolen Dodge Ram they had been monitoring that was involved in a “vehicle taunting incident,” which investigators explained is when the suspect tries to initiate a police pursuit.
They said the vehicle was “dumped in the area of 14 Street and 16 Avenue N.W.” on Dec. 14. One of the suspects was arrested days later on Dec. 20.
Police said investigators later received information about multiple other stolen vehicles, including a blue Audi A4 and a white Toyota Tacoma that was used in a break-in in the 500 block of Tuscany Springs N.W on Dec. 21.
Officers found the Toyota Tacoma at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 21, at an arena in the 2300 block of 47 Avenue S.W. A man and a woman were arrested and $30,000 worth of property — that police said had been stolen from the home in Tuscany and another home in Pine Ridge — was recovered. The woman was later released from police custody.
On Dec. 22, the blue Audi A4 was located outside a Walmart in the 200 block of East Hills Boulevard S.E. and two men were arrested as they left the store.
Days later on Dec. 28, police recovered a stolen Ford F150 related to the investigation at a grocery store in the 1800 block of Centre Street North. The driver was arrested.
“Two additional stolen Ford F150s were recovered as a result of this arrest,” a police statement read.
Police said five men have been charged with a total of 37 offences and 15 outstanding warrants.
Cameron Randall, 34, is charged with five counts of breach of probation.
Dale Christopher MacPherson, 33, faces a string of drugs and theft-related charges including three counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000 and one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Evan Richard Buttle, 31, faces a string of charges including one count each of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and possession of stolen property under $5,000.
Julius Peacemaker, 30, is charged with four outstanding warrants.
Matthew Alan Douglas Cross, 35, faces a string of charges including possession of stolen property over $5,000 and possession of stolen property under $5,000.