Stolen Truck goes on Joyride to Bombing Range

On Monday, October 9th, Cold Lake RCMP responded to a call of a stolen truck, which was later recovered thanks to the assistance of military police. The suspect went on quite the adventure before eventually being stopped on the military base.

Corporal Ryan Howrish explains, after stealing the truck, the suspect realized it was out of fuel. RCMP located the truck and the suspect at the Fast Gas in Cold Lake south, while the suspect was in the process of fueling up. “Of course he didn’t want to stick around to have a conversation with us,” Cpl. Howrish says the suspect took off in the truck mid-fuel up, leaving the pump in the tank.

“Next thing we knew, he went around the gates at the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range,” Cpl. Howrish says as the RCMP were setting up containment with the military police, the suspect ditched the truck. Instead of fleeing, the suspect recognized he was surrounded and surrendered himself.

33 year old, Robert Aaron Cardinal, of Lac La Biche, appeared in front of a Justice of the Peace on October 11th, and was charged with:

• 1 x theft of over $5,000 (motor vehicle)
• 1 x theft of under $5,000 (fuel)
• 1 x mischief under $5,000 (damage fuel pump)
• 1 x dangerous driving
• 2 x obstruction of a police officer
• 1 x breach of probation
• 1 x driving without insurance

Charges stemming from the military police include:

• 1 x possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
• 1 x breach of probation
• 1 x entering a controlled access area without permission
• 1 x causing a disturbance while in a controlled access area

Cardinal will appear next in court on October 16th.