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In two days, RCMP nab 10 with Lac La Biche links

A Crime Stoppers tip has lead police to a Lac La Biche man wanted in connection with a robbery in Strathcona County last May that saw a woman forced from her car at gunpoint.
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A Crime Stoppers tip has lead police to a Lac La Biche man wanted in connection with a robbery in Strathcona County last May that saw a woman forced from her car at gunpoint. Clayton Huppie was arrested shortly after the incident, but was released pending a March court date.

Huppie, 35, was found by police in a basement room of a Beaver Lake Cree Nation home last Friday, April 12. The Lac La BIche man has been running from police since March when he missed his court appearance.  Huppie is now facing charges of robbery, possession of a dangerous weapon, driving while prohibited, failing to comply with a court order as well as several others. He has been remanded in jail.

Huppie is one of 10 people arrested by local RCMP, regional partners and the Eastern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit (EADCRU) between April 10 and April 12.

Lac La Biche RCMP Staff Sgt. Jerry Nutbrown says the arrests were the result of investigations in conjunction with the local detachment.  He also said the multiple arrests were not anticipated.

"We find that quite often, one arrest rolls towards another one. In the course of looking for some one, other opportunities present themselves," he told the POST.

Heart Lake, Beaver Lake, Lac La Biche and St. Paul men arrested

On April 10, EADRCRU and Lac La Biche RCMP located a stolen truck in a rural location South of Lac La Biche near Highway 36.  Two individuals in a residence near where the stolen vehicle was located were wanted on outstanding warrants from Rocky Mountain House, Smoky Lake, Beaumont, St Paul, and Edmonton.  Both were arrested.

A 16-year-old from Beaumont, who cannot be named due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), was arrested for outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

  • Resisting a peace officer
  • Failing to comply with conditions of a youth sentence order

The male was released to an adult and is scheduled to appear in court in Edmonton on May 22, 2019 and Lac La Biche on May 24, 2019.

Tyler Monias (19) from St Paul was arrested for outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

  • Failing to attend court
  • Failing to comply with a recognizance (X3)
  • Failing to comply with the conditions of a youth sentence order

He was additionally charged with resisting a peace officer and failing to comply with a recognizance.  He was released following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Rocky Mountain House on April 24, 2019 and Fort Saskatchewan on May 9, 2019.

The stolen vehicle was towed for forensic analysis.

Trying to turn around

Later that day, a vehicle was spotted by EADRCRU avoiding Peace Officers conducting traffic control on the South end of Lac La Biche.  RCMP members stopped the vehicle and learned that the driver was criminally prohibited from operating a motor vehicle.

Joel Hope-Jackson (29) of Hay River was charged with driving while prohibited.  He was released and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on June 10, 2019.

Hiding in basement

RCMP members then moved to a residence in Beaver Lake where they determined a priority offender was hiding from police.  RCMP members entered the residence and located the offender in the basement who resisted arrest, but was apprehended without injury.

Aaron Anderson (33) from Beaver Lake was charged with resisting a peace officer and was arrested for his outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

  • Failing to comply with a recognizance (X3)
  • Resisting a peace officer (X2)
  • Escaping lawful custody

He was held in custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche this week.

On April 11, 2019, EADRCRU and Cold Lake PDS located two stolen vehicles nearby a residence in Heart Lake while looking for a priority offender in that area.  Another male wanted on outstanding warrant from Edmonton was also located nearby and arrested.

Cody ERASMUS (37) of Heart Lake, was arrested for his outstanding charges, which included:

  • Fraud
  • Possession of a stolen credit card
  • Possession of property obtained by crime (X3)
  • Failing to comply with a probation order (X2)
  • Dangerous driving
  • Flight from police (X2)
  • Obstructing a peace officer

He was later released and is scheduled to appear in court in Edmonton on May 8, 2019.

The search for the priority offender continued and brought RCMP members to an apartment building in Lac La Biche.  During the search of an apartment of interest, EADRCRU located another wanted offender and arrested him without incident.

Tristan Monias (22) of Heart Lake was arrested for his outstanding charges from Lac La Biche, which included:

  • Aggravated assault
  • Breaking and entering
  • Theft of truck (X2)
  • Mischief

He was held in custody following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche this week.

Apartment drug den in Lac La Biche

Further investigation in the apartment building resulted in RCMP uncovering a drug trafficking operation being run out of one of the suites.  RCMP members executed a search warrant on the apartment and recovered stolen firearms, prohibited devices, over 35 grams of a substance believed to be crack-cocaine packaged for sale, nearly 400 grams of cannabis, and approximately 250 “scratch and win” style lottery tickets.

Clayton Lucier (30) of Lac La Biche was charged with multiple offences, which include:

  • Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
  • Possessing cannabis for the purpose of selling
  • Possession of a prohibited weapon (X2)
  • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
  • Possession of property obtained by crime
  • Possession of a weapon obtained by crime (X2)
  • Unsafe storage of a firearm (X2)

He was released following a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on April 29, 2019.

“Getting illegal guns off of the street is a priority for our unit,” said Cst. Guillaume Wilson (EADRCRU).  “It’s particularly concerning in this case that the firearms were seized in such close proximity to an elementary and middle school.  We will continue to partner with the Lac La Biche RCMP to do everything we can to eradicate this type of crime in the community.”

Late that afternoon, an anonymous tip was received indicating the location of the priority offender EADRCRU had been looking for earlier that morning.  RCMP members intercepted a vehicle the offender was occupying in Lac La Biche.  The offender tried escaping, but was quickly apprehended by EADRCRU after a short foot chase.

Cason Monias (18) of Lac La Biche was charged with resisting a peace officer (X2) and failing to comply with a probation order (X2).  He was also arrested for his outstanding warrants, which included charges of:

  • Failing to comply with a youth order (X6)
  • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 (X2)

He was held in custody following a hearing and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche this week.

When police arrested Huppie on the Crime Stoppers tip, they also arrested Brian Boostrom (24) of Lac La Biche  with resisting a peace officer and failing to comply with a probation order.

He was released and is scheduled to appear in court in Lac La Biche on May 13, 2019.

“The offenders operating in Eastern Alberta need to recognize that EADRCRU is not going away,” said Cst. Wilson.  “We are going to continue using an intelligence based approach and partnerships to apprehend offenders and make our communities safer.”
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