A man is still in police custody after an attempted theft near Lloydminster on Thursday night.
The male was arrested along with six others, after a tractor was stolen from a farm south of the Border City. According to Sgt. Juan Huss of the Kitscoty RCMP, the incident began when a vehicle broke down on Township Road 490, close to the intersection of Range Road 13.
Four occupants of the vehicle then walked eastbound down the road, where they came to the property containing the tractor. After stealing the tractor, they then proceeded eastward to Highway 17.
Four of those arrested were released from custody, after being found by police to not have been involved in the theft of the tractor, while the other three have been charged with theft and trespassing. Two charged are 18 year old males, while the other is a female youth.
Huss also said the male who is still in custody has committed prior offences, and was not abiding by court-imposed conditions while involved in the incident.
“The one that we have in custody currently has also had involvement with the police, but you can see a pattern of escalating behavior, doing this type of offense (theft),” said Huss.
Huss said a bail hearing will soon be held for the male. As for why the theft took place, Huss explained that it was a “matter of opportunity”.
“They were looking for some mode of transportation, so instead of asking for help, these males went in and stole the tractor, crashing through the gate,” said Huss.
“The weather also played a bit of a factor, it was pouring rain, but by the same token they should have asked for help. The people where they took the tractor from, they were more than willing, or they would have been more than willing, to help them out, and provide them transportation to Lloydminster, if that’s what they required.”
Huss said that the seven arrested were from around the Lloydminster area, with ties to the city, but not all of them resided within the community.
“They were just cruising around, they were drinking, some of them were underage and shouldn’t be, you shouldn’t be drinking and driving anyway,” said Huss.
“Just young, and immature, and no life experience, really. I guess you call it booze cruising, it’s what they called it.”
A female who had fallen from the tractor during the incident has now been released from hospital, with a minor sprain to her ankle.
Huss also thanked the emergency services and residents of the area who had helped during the evening.