Skip to content

Resident helps Rimbey Mounties identify man facing mischief charges

Rimbey RCMP detachment investigated 45 files this week. Highlights include criminal harassment
26454rimbeyFire091614
Mobile home fire: Rimbey fire department responded to a mobile home fire at Raymond Shores located east of Rimbey on the northeast shore of Gull Lake early last Wednesday morning. The fire was at its worst in the kitchen area

Rimbey RCMP detachment investigated 45 files this week. Highlights include criminal harassment, theft, impaired driving, sex assault, drugs, fraud, break and enter, mental health issues, and other serious matters.

Charges laid

In the early morning hours of September 9, at approximately 2:30 a.m., an alert Rimbey officer observed an orange Pontiac car with license plates belonging to a different type of vehicle cruising around town. When the officer stopped the vehicle, he could immediately smell dope emanating from the open window. The 22-year-old female, a resident of Bluffton, was found to be driving without a valid class 5 driver's license and was unable to produce insurance or proper registration. A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marihuana and methamphetamine.  The driver was arrested and charged for possession of illegal drugs and with multiple vehicle offences, including no insurance, which is a minimum $2,875 fine.

Drunk driver arrested

Later in the evening on September 9, at approximately 10:30 p.m., a Rimbey Mountie patrolling Highway 53 near the 5th Meridian Road observed a pickup truck swerving all over the highway. When the vehicle pulled over, a can of Budweiser was seen flying out the passenger's side window. The 41-year-old female driver, a local resident, was arrested and had her 2010 blue Ford F150 seized and impounded. The accused blew almost twice the legal limit and was charged with drunk driving.

Stop payment

Police have been following up on an unusual case involving a local auction service. Recently, an elderly man from Alix attended the auction and won the bid for a car. He paid for the vehicle with a cheque but then proceeded to the bank and put a stop payment on that particular cheque and then registered the car in his name. Not surprisingly, the auction service was not too pleased with the way the sales transaction ended up, so the police were called to investigate the matter. Following the investigation, the 89-year-old man has been criminally charged and the vehicle seized.

RCMP busy

As you all know, when we write this weekly report, we only hit on a few highlights and you as the reader must "read between the lines" since we cannot possibly report on every single investigation. Your local detachment strives to provide the best possible service to our wonderful community which consists of not only the Town of Rimbey and Villages of Bluffton and Parkland Beach, but three counties as well.  Our jurisdiction consists of almost 2,000 square kilometres and stretches from the 5th Meridian Road near Crestomere all the way west to the North Saskatchewan River. The boundaries include some of Alberta's busiest primary highways such as highways 20, 22, and 53. On any given day, the officers on duty never know what to expect. Our calls for service can range from a cow on the highway, to a suicidal person, to a domestic dispute all in the same hour with a distance of 100 kilometres between the locations in need of an officer. This is why we reach out to the community and partner with so many great organizations, such as the Rimbey and District Rural Crime Watch Association and the Gull Lake North Citizens on Patrol.  Since we cannot possibly be everywhere, these dedicated volunteers assist police by being our "eyes and ears" out in the community and report any suspicious behaviour, vehicles, etc. right away in case the information they have may help police solve a crime. Anyone can have the one piece of the puzzle that we need to put a case together. Here is an example this week of how an unsuspecting citizen helped us solve a crime:

Identification made

Recently, police were dispatched to a rather disturbing scene at a local bank. During the night, an obviously intoxicated man in his 30's entered the bank doors where the ATM was located and proceeded to make an unusual deposit.  Once inside the bank, the fine citizen proceeded to drop his drawers and defecate on the floor. He then lost his cookies and puked on everything in sight. Before he stumbled out on his merry way, he used a stack of deposit envelopes to clean himself up. All the detachment personnel went over the security footage photos from the bank in an effort to identify the suspect, however, we were unable to figure out who the man was. An officer took the man's picture to a local bar and showed a photo around and one lady said, "I know that guy, he's from Drayton Valley". Ah-ha....another crime solved with the help of an attentive citizen! Mischief charges are now being laid in this case. We expect an early guilty plea in this matter!

If you have any information regarding these or any other crimes, please call the local Rimbey RCMP Detachment at (403) 843-2224 or Crime Stoppers:

PHONE: 1-800-222-8477

#8477 on Telus Mobility

*8477 on Rogers AT&T

Crime Stoppers is a community program that does work! Do your part and call now.