Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Red River North RCMP has recently seen an increase in the number of thefts and break and enters reported in the area. In an effort to reduce these incidents of crime, officers have been conducting patrols in the rural areas looking for suspicious vehicles and activity in the early morning hours.
This morning, at approximately 2:20 am, Red River North RCMP officers attempted a traffic stop on a pickup truck observed travelling northbound on Highway 8 at a very slow rate of speed.
The pickup truck failed to stop for police and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Due to public safety concerns, a pursuit was not initiated.
Officers from Red River North and Oakbank Detachments attended to the area and conducted patrols in an effort to contain the suspect vehicle.
At approximately 2:40 am, the suspect vehicle was located travelling southbound on Poplar Road, approaching Provincial Road 213 (Garven Road), and a second traffic stop initiated. The suspect vehicle once again failed to stop for police.
Officers deployed a spike belt at the intersection of Poplar Road and PR213 to which the suspect vehicle drove over. The suspect turned eastbound onto PR213 and began to slow as its tires deflated. The suspect vehicle continued eastbound where it came to a stop at the intersection of PR213 and Highway 12, as it struck two police vehicles. No injuries were reported.
RCMP arrested the two vehicle occupants, a 28-year-old male driver, from Steinbach, and a 31-year-old female passenger, from the RM of Ste Anne. The 28-year-old was also wanted for two outstanding Warrants of Arrest, one out of Steinbach and the other, St-Pierre-Jolys. A search of the male resulted in the seizure of a quantity of drug suspected of being cocaine.
A search of the vehicle, which had been reported stolen out of Winnipeg, resulted in the seizure of an additional quantity of cocaine, drug-related paraphernalia and multiple break-in instruments.
Jordan Friesen, 28, was remanded into custody on numerous charges including Flight from Police, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose, Trafficking a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
The 31-year-old female was released for court scheduled February 16, 2024, in Selkirk, where she will face charges of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose and Trafficking a Controlled Substance.
“Through proactive measures such as increased patrols, community engagement, and education on crime prevention, the RCMP is working hard on bringing down these numbers”, said S/Sgt Mitch Tkachuk, Operations NCO for the Red River North RCMP. “This initiative not only aims to decrease the number of property crime incidents but also emphasize the importance of safeguarding individuals’ sense of security and peace of mind”.
If anyone has any information on any property-related crime or any other criminal activity, please contact your local police agency or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
Red River North RCMP continue to investigate.