3 teens face 42 charges after central Alberta crime spree

Three males are facing a combined 42 charges after a crime spree in central Alberta on Saturday night.

The offences, which include assaulting a police officer and robbery with a firearm, occurred over a six-hour period starting inPonoka, RCMPsaid in a news release Monday.

• At 6:30 p.m., Ponoka RCMP responded to a theft of three bottles of wine from a liquor store.
• At 6:45 p.m., officers responded to a vehicle theft at a northwest Ponoka home. The description of the suspects matched those of the liquor store theft.
• At 7:30 p.m., RCMPwere alerted to a theft at a liquor store in Crestomerewhere a firearm was pointed at an employee.
• At 8 p.m., Rimbey RCMP responded to an attempted vehicle theft, andfound a vehicle matchingthe originalstolenvehicle. During apursuit, the vehicle hit the ditch and got stuck. Police arrested two 18-year-old males but athird suspect, a 16-year-old male youth, got away. Moments later, a vehicle from a nearby property was reported stolen.
• Just before 12 a.m., RCMP were called to a single-vehicle collision on Highway 2A. Wetaskiwin RCMP arrived on-scene just as the suspect was pulling afemale from the vehicle. During the arrest,an officer was assaulted.

The 18-year-olds, both from Maskwacis,face between them19 charges, including flight from police and possession of stolen property. They'rescheduled to be in court Tuesday.

The 16-year-oldfaces 23 charges, including resisting arrest and possession of property obtained by crime. He is expected in court Wednesday.