ATHABASCA - A 58-year-old Edmonton man will be back in Athabasca Provincial Court July 25 following a series of events that led to his arrest at a local motel that involved the RCMP Emergency Response Team July 4.
Athabasca RCMP responded to a complaint from a rural property that day that several firearms had been stolen from the residence.
"A male suspect allegedly drove to the rural property, threatened the resident by stating he would burn down a shack and then stole three firearms from a gun safe inside the residence," stated a July 5 media release from RCMP.
The suspect was later located by RCMP members driving a black Dodge Ram truck and a traffic stop was attempted, but the suspect did not stop and further avoided another officer who had used his vehicle to block the highway. RCMP did not pursue at that point.
However, the truck was located at the Athabasca Lodge Motel shortly after and the Emergency Response Team was called in to help secure the arrest. The suspect was arrested after surrendering peacefully.
Multiple witnesses told the Advocate of half-a-dozen police vehicles at the motel at approximately 4 a.m. July 4, with at least one sniper seen in the area as well during that time.
Thaddeus Alexandruk, 58, of Edmonton, made his first appearance in Athabasca Provincial Court July 5 to answer to three charges of careless use of a firearm; three counts of knowingly possessing an unauthorized weapon; two counts of fail to comply with release order conditions; and one count each of uttering threats to property, flight from a peace officer and driving while unauthorized. He will be back in court July 25.
The Athabasca RCMP encourage the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity to your local police. Reports tell us where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future. If you see a crime in progress, dial 911. If you wish to remain anonymous, 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.
