Crime
Red Deer RCMP make numerous arrests in crime hot spots

Red Deer, Alberta – Red Deer RCMP made a number of arrests while conducting proactive patrols in areas known for criminal activity, and located numerous suspects who were wanted on outstanding warrants. RCMP made more arrests while conducting compliance checks on individuals known to have court imposed conditions such as curfews; these strategies are key to Red Deer’s Pinpoint crime reduction focus on repeat offenders and emerging issues. Red Deer RCMP made more arrests thanks to reports from the public regarding suspicious activity, and thank Red Deerians for their continued support and vigilance.
May 5 – 2018
At 9 pm on May 5, RCMP responded to a report of a personal robbery after a man allegedly robbed a woman of her sunglasses at knifepoint in the area of 50 Street and 51 Avenue. RCMP responded immediately and located the suspect nearby on foot; he was arrested after a brief foot chase.
21 year old Zachary John Wahobin faces the following charges:
· Criminal Code 344(1)(b) – Robbery with weapon
· Criminal Code 129(a) – Resist/ obstruct peace officer X 2
· Criminal Code 88(1) – Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose
· Criminal Code 733.1(1) – Fail to comply with probation
Wahobin was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on May 7 and is scheduled to appear next on May 23 at 9:30 am.
May 4 – 2018
Shortly before 3 pm on May 4, Red Deer RCMP located a truck that had been stolen out of Blackfalds and used On Star to track it as the truck moved through Red Deer. When it was safe to do so, RCMP had On Star shut down the truck in the Normandeau neighbourhood and arrested the male driver after a brief foot chase. RCMP located two stolen bicycles in the back of the truck and seized what is believed to be heroin, crystal meth and marijuana, as well as pepper spray, a knife and break-in tools
29 year old Bryan Anthony Penso faces
· Criminal Code 249(1) – Dangerous operation of motor vehicle
· Criminal Code 351(1) – Possess break-in instruments
· Criminal Code 355(a) – Possession of stolen property over $5,000
· Criminal Code 355(b) – Possession of stolen property under $5,000
· Criminal Code 88(1) – Possession of weapon for the purpose of committing an offense X 2
· CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule I/ Schedule II substances X 3
· TSA 51(a) – Operate vehicle without holding operator’s license
· TSA 52(1)(a) – Operate vehicle without registration
· TSA 54(1)(a) – Operate vehicle without insurance
Penso was remanded to appear in court in Red Deer on May 7 and is scheduled to appear again on May 14 at 9:30 am.
May 2 – 2018
At 5:45 am on May 2, Red Deer RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter in progress at a business in north Red Deer after a witness reported observing a male suspect climbing over a fence to access the business. RCMP responded immediately and arrested the suspect without incident.
A 30 year old man faces a charge of Criminal Code 348(1)(a) – break and enter; he is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on June 26. His name cannot be released at this time as that charge has not yet been sworn before the courts.
May 1 – 2018
At 6:30 pm, RCMP attended a store in response to a report of a shoplifter, and arrested a woman who was found to be in possession of a number of stolen items and was wanted on numerous outstanding warrants.
23 year old Taylor Watkins-Paul was wanted on 21 warrants out of Innisfail, Red Deer and Canmore for multiple counts of possession of stolen property, failing to comply with conditions and failing to appear in court, as well as three traffic charges of driving without insurance. She now faces an additional charge of theft under $5,000 and two counts of failing to comply with conditions. Watkins-Paul was remanded to appear in court on May 4 and is scheduled to appear again on May 11 at 9:30 am.
April 30 – 2018
At 9:30 pm on April 30, RCMP responded to a report of suspicious activity in a north-end industrial parking lot and located a suspect who was found to be breaching court-imposed conditions, including a curfew.
19 year old Austin Joseph Pollock faces two counts of Criminal Code 145(3) – fail to comply with conditions. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 29 at 8:30 am.
April 30 – 2018
Shortly before 9 am on April 30, RCMP responded to a report of suspicious activity in a vehicle parked in Oriole Park. On arrival, RCMP located a suspect in the car who was wanted on outstanding warrants and was in possession of what is believed to be methamphetamine.
25 year old Tyler James Nugent was wanted on four warrants out of Red Deer for impaired driving, driving over 0.08, failing to attend court and a traffic charge; he was wanted on five warrants out of Sundre for impaired driving, driving while unauthorized, and several other traffic charges, and another warrant out of Didsbury for failing to attend court. Nugent now faces an additional charge of CDSA 4(1) – Possession of Schedule I substance (methamphetamine). He is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on May 18 at 8:30 am.
April 29 – 2018
Shortly before 2:30 am on May 29, RCMP on patrol in downtown Red Deer located a suspect who was wanted on two outstanding warrants for breaching his probation. At the time of his arrest, RCMP determined that he was further breaching his probation. In addition to his warrants, 39 year old Devlin Brighar faced a new charge of breach of probation. He appeared in court in Red Deer on May 4 and those charges have now been dealt with by the court.
April 26 – 2018
The evening of April 26, members of the Red Deer RCMP crime reduction team were on proactive foot patrol in downtown Red Deer when they located a suspect in possession of fentanyl and what is believed to be methamphetamine. The suspect gave a false name but was soon identified by police.
54 year old Dereck Kirkpatrick faces two charges of CDSA 4(1) – possession of Schedule 1 substances and one charge of resisting/ obstructing a peace officer. Kirkpatrick is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on May 9 at 1:30 pm.
April 25 – 2018
Red Deer RCMP conducted a curfew check on April 25 and determined that the man in questions wasn’t at the residence, in violation of his court-imposed conditions. Red Deer RCMP conduct conditions checks regularly on numerous individuals as part of the Pinpoint crime reduction strategy.
29 year old Tyler Kellington faces a charge of failing to comply with probation; he made his first court appearance in Red Deer on May 4 and is scheduled to appear again on June 18 at 9:30 am.
April 24 – 2018
Shortly after 2 am on April 24, Red Deer RCMP on bicycle patrol in Riverside Meadows noted suspicious activity and, on investigation, located a suspect who was in possession of what is believed to be cocaine. The suspect was further found to be wanted on outstanding warrants out of Red Deer.
In addition to the warrants, 22 year old Alli Kevin Halkett faces one charge of CDSA 4(1) – possession of Schedule I substance. He is scheduled to appear in court in Red Deer on May 8 at 8:30 am.
April 19 – 2018
A man who was arrested on April 3 for theft of mail is now wanted on warrants after failing to appear in court on April 13 to face those charges. The charges stem from a report received by Red Deer RCMP on April 3 that a suspect was seen breaking into apartment mailboxes. RCMP attended and located the suspect nearby in possession of a number of pieces of stolen mail. RCMP took him into custody and returned the mail to its owners.
28 year old Dallas Albert Rain is wanted on warrants for the following charges:
· Criminal Code 356(1)(a) – Theft from mail under $5,000 X 5
· Criminal Code 430(4) – Mischief under $5,000 X 2
· Criminal Code 145(2)(a) – Fail to attend court
If you have information about Rain’s whereabouts please call the Red Deer RCMP complaint line at 403-343-5575.
Crime
UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

Quick Hit:
After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.
Key Details:
- The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
- Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
- The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”
Diving Deeper:
The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.
“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.
Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”
The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.
Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.
While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.
Crime
Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

MxM News
Quick Hit:
Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.
Key Details:
-
Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.
-
He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.
-
The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.
Sources provided this photo of Boelter from the scene after his arrest. pic.twitter.com/q4F9uPkm53
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 16, 2025
Diving Deeper:
Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.
Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.
The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.
From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.
Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”
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