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Stolen vehicle

Red Deer RCMP lay charges after alleged armed robbery at dealership

Jul 22, 2026 | 4:27 PM

Red Deer RCMP have charged a 33-year-old resident after he allegedly stole a vehicle from a dealership.

Nathaniel Spidell of Red Deer is now facing charges of robbery using a firearm/imitation firearm, possession of identity documents, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, following an alleged incident on Tuesday.

Police say on July 21 at 11:26 a.m., RCMP attended a 911 call for a robbery involving a vehicle during a test drive at a dealership.

Mounties say they were told a man displayed a firearm to an employee near the end of a test drive in the city and was told to get out of the vehicle.

The employee did what was asked, and the suspect stole the vehicle and fled from the scene at a high rate of speed.

Multiple police resources assisted, including Real Time Operation Center (RTOC), Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team (CRT), Red Deer RCMP Drone as First Responder (DFR), Red Deer RCMP Police Dog Services (PDS), Red Deer RCMP Traffic Services, Ponoka RCMP, and Maskwacis RCMP.

As a result, police arrested Spidell, who allegedly drove the vehicle at speeds up to 165 km/h.

The vehicle was then recovered, and police say no injuries were sustained.

Additional charges are pending against Spidell under the Traffic Safety Act of Alberta.

Following a Judicial Interim Release (JIR) hearing, he was remanded into custody and was scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer on July 22, 2026.

If you have any information regarding crime in Red Deer, please contact the Red Deer RCMP at 403-406-2200. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.