ATHABASCA – Athabasca RCMP remain on the lookout for a Calling Lake man now charged with attempted murder, stemming from a January shooting in the community.
Evan Cardinal faces the attempted murder charge after a .22 was fired at the victim’s head and just grazed his face with another hitting him square in the leg, said Athabasca RCMP Const. Jay Tessier in an interview July 15.
“It went right through his phone and he still has part of the bullet in his leg,” he said.
The charge was recently laid after the victim provided a statement to police. There have also been recent reports to RCMP that Cardinal has been requesting firearms around town, which is a cause for concern.
Local RCMP have also received a report that an Edmonton man, Montana Houle, who is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, may be in the area, but that is currently unverified.
Among the most serious crimes to take place in the Athabasca RCMP Detachment area was a potential aggravated assault at the Grand Union Hotel July 3. A woman contacted police after she woke up and had reason to believe she had been assaulted, though it is still unknown if the assault involved a weapon or was sexual in nature.
RCMP also responded to a fatal accident involving an ATV in the Baptiste Lake area June 26. A 66-year-old woman was pronounced deceased after efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.
Those are two of 316 calls for service Athabasca detachment members responded to between June 23 and July 14, which also included one report of sexual interference that occurred in 2018; six assault calls (two unfounded, one domestic); one arson; three break-ins to businesses and four to residences; four child welfare calls; two frauds (one above, one below $5,000); and 13 mischief calls.
There were also eight reports of vehicle thefts, seven reports of uttering threats, and five calls for theft under $5,000.
In addition, Tessier reported there have been three motor vehicle accidents that resulted in minor injuries in that time, along with three incidents of failing to remain at the scene of an accident. There were also 23 accidents that resulted in damage to property — mostly deer strikes.
Members also responded to three complaints of shots fired in the Calling Lake area.
