RCMP have arrested two men and recovered farming equipment, canola and firearms after receiving reports of canola stolen from a central Alberta farm and “suspicious individuals attempting to sell canola.”
Bashaw RCMP and officers from the central Alberta crime reduction unit arrested a man in Mirror, Alta., on Sept. 28 after locating “a vehicle and grain truck suspected in the thefts,” read a news release issued Tuesday morning.
Officers found a loaded 12-guage shotgun in the vehicle after a search, according to the release.
The grain truck, which was in another location, was involved in a traffic stop organized by Bashaw and Stettler RCMP. The driver, however, did not stop for officers, who ended up using a tire-deflation method to stop the truck. The driver was arrested with help from an RCMP helicopter and police dogs.
Jesse James Lyman MacDonald, 33, of Stettler, faces 14 charges, including flight from and obstructing a peace officer, possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose and trafficking.
The second Stettler man, Tristan James Ruby, 36, faces 16 charges, including nine charges of being unlawfully at large, as well as possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and trafficking.
The two men will both remain in custody until they appear in court in Red Deer on Tuesday.