2 arrested after stolen truck flees Sylvan Lake police

A man and a woman will be in a Red Deer courtroom Monday. They're accused of a series of theftsand of fleeing police in a stolen truck.

It began at a credit union parking lot in Rimbey on Friday afternoon. RCMP approached a blue Ford F-150that had beenreported stolen five days earlier in Sylvan Lake. A woman was at the wheel and a man was just outside the truck.

"Both failed to comply with demands of the officer and the male jumped in the passenger side," RCMP said in a press release.

"The truck then rammed the police vehicleseveral times before fleeing north out of Rimbey. This original pursuit was eventually terminated for public safety reasons."

A half hour later, Sylvan Lake RCMP spottedthe truck. This time the man was at the wheel.

Police say the vehicle failed to stop yet againand "a short pursuit was again terminated for public safety reasons."

Officers relocated the truck and set upa spike belt at the intersection of Highway 766 and Highway 12.

"The suspect vehicle was eventually disabled and the suspects drove off the highway downa ditch in an effort to escape. Both occupants fled on foot but were caught immediately," police said.

Officersarrested a 20-year-old man from Sylvan Lake and a 22-year-old woman from Red Deer.

Stolen items in the truck

Police allege that earlier in the day,the same suspects didn't pay for gas at a station in Sylvan Lake.

In the truck, officers found property taken during a break-in in Sylvan Lake and property from vehicles in Red Deer and Sylvan Lake. Police also found a pellet gun.

The pair faces a long list of charges, including break and entering, possession of stolen property, and flight from police.

The man is also accused of being one of two suspectswho robbed the Canadian Tire in Sylvan Lake on Sept. 14, injuring an employee.