By Sheldon Spackman

December 2022 Incident

Second accused sentenced in break-in and flight from police in stolen vehicle incident

Dec 8, 2025 | 4:32 PM

The second of two people from Red Deer charged after Mounties used a spike belt to disable a stolen vehicle taken from a business in Airdrie three years ago, has finally been sentenced.

Tash-Leigh Maceachern, 35, was sentenced in Calgary Court of Justice on Dec. 5, 2025, to four months in jail after being convicted on one count of theft of a motor vehicle. She was also given two years of probation and credit for 80 days in custody, leaving her with 40 days left to serve.

Her co-accused, Juan David Gomez, now 30, was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a one-year license suspension, and ordered to pay $10,977.08 in restitution after being convicted on three counts in Calgary Court of Justice on June 21, 2023. Gomez was convicted on counts of flight from peace officer, theft of a motor vehicle, and break and enter-not a dwelling house.

It was on Dec. 5, 2022, at 1:30 a.m., when Airdrie RCMP were called to a commercial business in the East Lake area for a break-in. Police say a male and female suspect entered the business taking keys for two vehicles that were parked outside.

As officers arrived, RCMP say the suspects fled in the two stolen vehicles; one being a garbage truck. Officers say they were able to follow the vehicles as they drove north on the QEII Highway.

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Mounties say the suspects abandoned the garbage truck near Crossfield and continued to travel north (in the other vehicle) on the QEII Highway. Near Innisfail, officers successfully deployed a tire deflation device and took the suspects into custody.

Gomez was initially charged with the following offences:

• Break and Enter
• Mischief over $5,000
• Theft under $5000
• Theft of a motor vehicle x 2
• Flight from peace officer
• Fail to comply with release order condition

Maceachern, also a resident of Red Deer, was originally charged with the following offences:

• Break and Enter
• Mischief over $5,000
• Theft under $5000
• Theft of a motor vehicle x 2
• Flight from peace officer
• Possession break-in instruments

Related: Red Deer man sentenced in Airdrie B&E involving stolen vehicles

Related: Red Deer residents charged in Airdrie break-in and stolen vehicles incident