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Police make significant arrests stemming from long weekend crime spree

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6 minute read

May 24, 2019

Central Area District RCMP make significant arrests from long weekend incidents

Red Deer, Alta. – “Multiple members across various jurisdictions were involved with this dangerous crime spree,” says S/Sgt Mark Groves Central Alberta District RCMP. “Policing efforts do not have borders, nor do crimes so we will continue to pursue these repeat offenders throughout the province of Alberta.” 

Central Area District (CAD) RCMP are laying over 40 charges against 4 people stemming from multiple incidents that primarily took place in the Red Deer and Sylvan Lake, Alta. area during the Victoria Day long weekend. These approximately 30 occurrences involved serious risk to police and public as firearms were involved in the commission of these crimes.

On May 16, 2019, at 4:30 a.m., a stolen truck was involved in multiple break and enters with the use of discharging firearms to gain entry.

On May 17, 2019, at 1:30 a.m., Rimbey RCMP were dispatched to a residential break and enter in progress at which a firearm was produced. The suspects fled the scene in a stolen truck. At approximately 2 a.m., Sylvan Lake RCMP located the truck near Bentley, Alta. traveling at a high rate of speed.  The suspect vehicle ultimately took a dead end township road and entered a ditch.  An unknown number of people fled from the vehicle into a wooded area, and one female was arrested. 

The stolen truck from the previous morning’s incidents arrives in the area and swerved at RCMP members who were trying to deploy a tire deflation device. The fleeing individual(s) jumped into the white truck and RCMP members pursued. The pursuit continued through the Town of Sylvan Lake where firearms from the truck were discharged multiple times at police. During the pursuit, a female fell from the truck and was arrested without incident. The truck was located unoccupied a short distance away, having collided with a parked vehicle.  A loaded firearm was recovered from the vehicle.

On May 19, 2019, at 1:30 a.m., Sylvan Lake RCMP responded to a 911 call of a break and enter in progress in the Sylvan Lake industrial area., Sylvan Lake, Red Deer RCMP, along with the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Police Dog Services made contact with a suspect vehicle which swerved at members. An officer discharged their firearm at the vehicle, but no one in the vehicle was injured. A second suspect vehicle, a truck stolen from the industrial property, fled through fencing and was immediately pursued by ERT. The vehicle stopped a short time later, due to mechanical failure, and a male was arrested without incident. 

On May 21, 2019, at around 2:45 p.m., a male suspect was taken into custody without incident after he was arrested driving a stolen car. 

Danelle Rickett (32) of no fixed address has been charged with:

·         Possession of stolen property over $5,000 

·         Possession of stolen property under $5,000 

·         Joyriding 

Rickett was released from custody after a judicial hearing with conditions, and will appearing in Red Deer Provincial Court on May 29, 2019.

Samantha Johnston (29) of Red Deer has been charged with:

·         Possession of stolen property over $5,000 

·         Possession for the purpose of trafficking 

·         Breach of recognizance (x4) 

Johnston has been remanded into custody after a judicial hearing, and will be appearing in Red Deer Provincial Court on May 30, 2019.

Tyler Harris (23) of Red Deer has been charged with:

·         Break and enter of a business (x2)

·         Disguise with intent

·         Breach of recognizance (x4) 

·         Flight from police

Harris has been remanded into custody after a judicial hearing, and will be appearing in Red Deer Provincial Court on June 12, 2019.

Zacharias Paradoski, of the Red Deer has been charged with 39 offences, some of which include:

·         Using a firearm in the commission of an offence

·         Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose

·         Break and Enter 

·         Discharging a firearm

·         Possession of break and enter instruments

·         Disguise with intent

Paradoski was remanded into custody after a judicial hearing, and will be appearing in Red Deer Provincial Court on June 5, 2019.

No RCMP members were injured during any of these incidents.

As this matter is now before the courts no further details will be provided.

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Crime

UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

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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.

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Crime

Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

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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.

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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