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A busy Sunday for Ponoka RCMP

Sep 26, 2018 | 7:13 AM

PONOKA- RCMP dealt with a variety of calls for service as the weekend came to a close which included three women who are now facing numerous criminal charges in relation to separate incidents that occurred on September 23.

It began Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. when members of the Ponoka RCMP started receiving complaints that a railway maintenance truck was stolen as it was being fueled up. 

The truck ripped the gas hose from the pump and sped away almost hitting two vehicles.

Shortly after, a 911 call was received from a rural resident who reported that a woman had shown up on his property in the railway maintenance truck and got it stuck.

When the property owner approached the woman he noticed that the gas station pump hose was still hanging from the vehicle. 

The woman got out of the truck and attempted to stab the property owner with a screwdriver but was unsuccessful and she fled the property on foot. 

As the RCMP members were arriving on scene, they observed the woman leaving in a truck that she had stolen from the neighboring property. 

Assistance was requested from the Maskwacis RCMP, the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit, the Wetaskiwin RCMP, and the Wetaskiwin Integrated Traffic Unit and a police pursuit was started.  

A short time later, the driver lost control of the truck and fled from the vehicle on foot. 

Wetaskiwin Police Dog Services attended the area and was able to successfully locate the woman trying to hide up a tree.

The 30-year-old woman (of no fixed address) has been charged with:

         Fail to Comply with Probation
         Dangerous Operation of a motor vehicle
         2 counts of Theft of a Truck
         Assault with a Weapon
         Mischief Under $5000
         Impaired Operation (by a drug) of a Motor Vehicle
         Fail to Comply with a Physical Coordination Demand
         Flight from Police
         Driving While Disqualified

Shortly after midnight, the Ponoka RCMP responded to a call of a disturbance at a residence where a man was assaulting the occupants. 

When officers arrived, the 40-year-old attempted to fight with police and was arrested with the use of a conducted energy weapon (Taser). 

An Investigation revealed that a 38-year-old woman in the home had also assaulted an occupant and she was arrested as well. 

The man has been charged with:

         Assault
         Uttering Threats
         Assaulting a Police Office

Approximately one hour after this event, the RCMP were called about a car that was travelling travelling southbound through Ponoka and was swerving all over the road, driving on the curbs, not stopping for stop signs, and driving with no lights on. 

While officers were on their way to locate the car, they received another call that the vehicle had stopped and the woman who was driving it opened the door and fell to the ground. 

Mounties arrived on scene and picked her up.

A 36-year-old woman from Airdrie has been charged with:

         Impaired Operation (by alcohol) of a Motor Vehicle
         Refuse to Provide a Breath Sample

Members of the Ponoka Detachment say although there are days like these, data shows that the RCMP Crime Reduction Strategy is working.

From January to July of this year, property crimes in all RCMP detachments are nearly 10% compared to the same period last year.

In rural detachments, it is down 11%.

That means, as of July this year, 648 fewer cars have been stolen and 366 fewer homes have been broken into.

(Gary McKinnon)