On Thursday, October 29, 2020, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Brooks RCMP in Alberta advised Maple Creek RCMP that two male suspects involved in an alleged kidnapping were travelling east on Highway 1, towards Maple Creek in Saskatchewan. The vehicle was described as a white car with a Saskatchewan license plate.
Maple Creek RCMP and Swift Current Rural RCMP positioned themselves on Highway 1 and monitored the highway to locate the suspect vehicle as it enters Saskatchewan.
Shortly afterwards, Brooks RCMP advised Saskatchewan RCMP police officers they found the suspect vehicle abandoned in a rural area in Alberta. Brooks RCMP also received the report of a black truck with an Alberta license plate being stolen. They believed the stolen truck was driven by the original suspects and relayed that information to Saskatchewan RCMP police officers.
Swift Current RCMP located the black truck travelling north of Tompkins, in Saskatchewan, on a grid road. Police officers from various Saskatchewan RCMP detachments and partners were called to assist and engaged in a pursuit of the suspect vehicle.
Maple Creek RCMP, Shaunavon RCMP, Swift Current Rural RCMP, Swift Current Municipal RCMP, Swift Current RCMP Combined Traffic Services, Swift Current RCMP Police Dog Services, Swift Current RCMP Forensic Identification Section, Gravelbourg RCMP and Ponteix RCMP, along with the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, SERM and the Prairie Sky Region Community Safety Officer attempted multiple times to stop the suspect vehicle. However, the suspect vehicle continued to flee.
The suspects abandoned the black truck in a rural farmyard, north of Ponteix, and stole a grey pick-up truck with a Saskatchewan license plate. The new suspect vehicle continued to flee from the officers and eventually ended up in a ditch, east of the community of Wymark, right before 3 p.m.
Saskatchewan RCMP police officers took the two adult male suspects into custody and verified there were no victims in either of the vehicles used by the suspects. There were no injuries to anyone involved in the pursuit.
25-year-old Montel Mau of Regina, SK, is charged with the following offences under the Criminal Code of Canada:
- Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance, Sec. 320.13(1);
- Flight from Peace Officer, Sec. 320.17;
- Theft of Motor Vehicle, Sec. 333.1;
- Possession of Property Over $5000 Obtained by Crime, Sec. 354(1)(a); and
- Four counts of Breach of Recognizance, Sec. 145(3).
36-year-old Emery Lavallee of Regina, SK, is charged with the following offences under the Criminal Code of Canada:
- Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance, Sec. 320.13(1);
- Flight from Peace Officer, Sec. 320.17;
- Theft of Motor Vehicle, Sec. 333.1; and
- Possession of Property Over $5000 Obtained by Crime, Sec. 354(1)(a).
Montel Mau and Emery Lavallee made their first appearance in court in Swift Current Provincial Court on October 30, 2020. Both have been remanded and are scheduled to make their next court appearance by phone on November 9, 2020, at 9:30 a.m.
Two of the vehicles involved in this investigation were driven through various fields in southwest Saskatchewan during the afternoon of Thursday, October 29, 2020. Swift Current Rural RCMP is requesting landowners or residents to report any property damage to their local RCMP or by calling 310-RCMP.
RCMP police officers are no longer looking to locate a victim of kidnapping.