CALGARY — After a lengthy pursuit through several southeast and central Alberta jurisdictions, RCMP arrested one of two suspects believed responsible for a break-in at a motel in Hanna, that saw a truck smash through the front entrance and thieves make off with an ATM.
Hanna is about 220 kilometres northeast of Calgary.
Surveillance footage showed two people wearing masks inside a stolen Ford F150, which smashed through the front entrance of the Canada Grey Motor Inn about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Once inside, thieves made off with an ATM.
The truck was later recovered in Consort, about 140 kilometres to the northeast.
Police then spotted one of the suspects in another vehicle and a pursuit was launched. The chase lasted about two hours and saw officers deploy spike belts, which the driver managed to avoid.
Officers from several detachments were involved, including Wainwright, Provost, Vermillion, Consort, Coronation, Oyen and Hanna. Members of the RCMP Police Dog Services stationed in Calgary, Red Deer and Lloydminster also responded.
Once the truck came to a stop, a man was taken into custody without incident and police recovered a sawed-off, pump-action shotgun as well as break-and-enter tools.
Police are now seeking a female suspect also believed involved in the break-in at Hanna.
Police are also investigating whether that incident is linked to a break-in at the Debmart Café in Oyen, about 300 kilometres east of Calgary, in the early-morning hours of Saturday.
There, thieves in a Ford F350 smashed through the front entrance and made off with an ATM, which was empty.
They later returned to steal thousands of dollars in merchandise and the entire burglary was caught on a security camera.
According to RCMP, the F350 was later found "burned out" in a rural area. People were spotted leaving that scene in a large, dark-coloured, lifted Dodge Ram truck that was pulling a white enclosed trailer.
Anyone with information is asked to call Hanna RCMP at 403-854-3393 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
