The Athabasca RCMP have issued an arrest warrant for an Athabasca man after this morning's incident in Rochester.
At 5:38 a.m., the RCMP received a call stating that a man may have shot a 44-year-old woman in the hamlet. While the suspect fled the scene before the Mounties arrived, further investigation indicated that Billy Joe Henry Deren, a 46-year-old Athabasca resident, may have been responsible for the shooting. The woman was airlifted by STARS to the hospital with serious, life threatening injuries.
Deren is described as a 5'5 man, weighing approximately 130 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He's known to drive a black 2014 Ford F-150 with an Alberta plate BLT-150.
The RCMP are looking for information on Deren's whereabouts — they can be reached at 780-808-8400, or via your local police department. Do not approach Deren on your own.
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. To contact RCMP non-emergency line within any Alberta RCMP jurisdiction call 310-RCMP(7267).
