Five alleged Westside street gang members made their first appearance in court after an arrest that saw multiple RCMP detachments team up to catch them.
Tonia Cantel, 22, from North Battleford, Juanita Wahpistikwan, 21, from Big Island Cree Nation, Kyle Lajimodiere from Cold Lake, and two youths from Big Island Lake Cree Nation were arrested after a 150-kilometre police pursuit.
It all started in Lashburn on Nov. 20 when Maidstone RCMP got a call that a grey Honda was stolen from a business by three men dressed in red. The caller told police the men fled east on Hwy 16 in the grey Honda and that a small red Ford car was following the Honda.
Maidstone RCMP alerted the RCMP Roving Traffic Unit (RTU) - which was already on Hwy 16 – to be on the lookout for the stolen car. The RTU is a mobile traffic enforcement team. The RTU spotted the Honda and followed it before activating their lights in an attempt to get the driver to pullover but the driver didn’t stop. Instead, the car turned around and drove west on Hwy 16 at a high rate of speed.
Maidstone RCMP alerted nearby detachments to be on the lookout for the Honda. The Saskatchewan RCMP Protection and Response Team (PRT) was activated. The PRT – created by the province in 2017 - helps tackle rural crime. The PRT consists of officers from RCMP detachments and municipal police forces, commercial vehicle enforcement officers with expanded powers, and conservation officers. Their goal is to improve police response to emergency calls.
The Saskatchewan RCMP Highway Patrol and the Lloydminster RCMP were also asked to help track the stolen grey Honda. RCMP Highway Patrol officers respond to 911 calls.
Police were informed that the Lashburn Fire Department got a call that a small red car was on fire east of Lashburn so their focus was now on catching the stolen grey Honda.
The RCMP PRT spotted the Honda travelling west on Hwy 16, west of the Marshall Weigh Station and then head east on Kempton Road towards Hwy 303. Eight police vehicles – from Maidstone RCMP, Lloydminster RCMP and the RCMP RTU – fanned out and patrolled the huge rural area around Lashburn.
Maidstone RCMP found the grey Honda about 60 kilometres north of Lashburn headed west on Hwy 3, near Paradise Hill. They observed the Honda turn north on Range Road 797 towards Frenchman Butte.
Onion Lake RCMP and Turtleford RCMP were asked to be on the lookout for the Honda.
Turtleford RCMP set up a tire deflation device on Township Road 540, which forced the Honda to a stop.
When police searched the Honda they found a sawed-off modified rifle, ammunition, a machete, a BB pistol and several knives.
Maidstone and Turtleford RCMP arrested Cantel, Wahpistikwan, Lajimodiere and two youths without incident. The youths can’t be named in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
RCMP say the five are members of the Westside street gang.
They were all charged with theft of a vehicle, storing a prohibited firearm, four counts of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a firearm without a license, being a vehicle with an unauthorized firearm, possessing a prohibited firearm with accessible ammunition without registration, possession a firearm with an altered serial number, endangering the safety of the public, and flight from police.
The charges against the five haven’t been proven in court.
Anyone with information regarding the ownership, occupants or whereabouts of the small red car, on Friday, Nov. 20 at around 3 p.m. in and around Lashburn, Sask., is asked to call Maidstone RCMP at 306-893-4800. Information can also be submitted anonymously to Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submitting a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
If you are associated with a gang and want to leave it, contact STR8 UP in northern Saskatchewan at 306-763-3001, STR8 UP in central Saskatchewan at 306-244-1771, or Regina Treaty Status Indian Services in southern Saskatchewan at 306-522-7494 to get assistance.
Lajimodiere, Cantell and Wahpistikwan appeared in Lloydminster Provincial Court on Dec. 3 and remain in custody.
Lajimodiere appears next in Lloydminster Provincial Court on Dec. 22 to speak to his matter.
Cantell is now scheduled to appear in Lloydminster Provincial Court on Dec. 17 to enter a plea.
Wahpistikwan has a show cause hearing in Lloydminster Provincial Court Dec. 17.
