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Vol. 19, No. 8, Wednesday, January 17, 2024 www.LamontLeader.com
Armed robbery at Lamont bar Plus: High-speed chase, high-risk take-down, ends at Lamont
A surveillance camera captured a photo of the female suspect wanted by Fort Saskatchewan RCMP in connection with an armed robbery in Lamont Jan.11. BY JOHN MATHER Fort Saskatchewan RCMP were kept busy last week dealing with both an armed robbery in Lamont, Jan 11, and then a high-risk take-down of a wanted individual Sunday evening (Jan14) at the corner of Highway 15 and 50 Ave. Const. Troy Savinkoff said the Sunday incident began shortly before 8:30 p.m. when Fort Saskatchewan RCMP attempted a roadside stop with a reported suspicious vehicle in the
Westpark area of Fort Saskatchewan. The vehicle failed to stop for the RCMP officer and took off at a high rate of speed onto Highway 21, travelling southbound in the northbound lanes. A second Fort Saskatchewan RCMP officer attempted to stop the same vehicle, which actively evaded the officer and proceeded eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 16 at high rates of speed. The vehicle eventually came to a stop in Lamont. With the assistance of Strathcona and Redwater RCMP and the Alberta RCMP Police Dog Service (PDS), the four occupants of the vehicle were arrested on scene. All four subjects are currently in custody and charges are pending. Further information is not yet available. In the first incident, an armed robbery took place at the New Frontier Bar, at 51 St. And 48 St. in downtown Lamont on Jan.11. Two males and a female, all wearing masks, entered the bar and pepper sprayed the clerk. A firearm was produced and shots were fired. One suspect, said police,
stole cash from the cash register. before fleeing the premises. No one other than the clerk was hurt during the robbery. The suspects are described as a tall male with a slender build wearing a Crooks and Castles hoodie, black jeans and black baseball cap. The second suspect is a petite female with a fair skin complexion in a black toque and black zipper type hoodie. The robbery followed on the heels of a similar incident at the Brant Hotel in Fort Saskatchewan Jan.8, when four suspects entered the premises and threatened staff and patrons with bear spray and guns. A clerk was pepper sprayed in this incident. Cash was stolen and the suspects escaped in a grey Volkswagen later found abandoned and on fire in Lamoureux across the river from Fort Saskatchewan. Police are searching for two men wearing all black clothing, gloves and ski masks. The woman was described as small stature wearing a red parka and as well there was a heavier woman wearing all black clothing, including a winter parka, baseball cap and zipper
Lamont’s New Frontier Bar, formerly LA Sportsbar, was the scene of an armed robbery, Jan. 11. style hoodie. “Due to the brazen nature of these two armed robberies they do have similarities,” said Savinkoff. “They were done in a close period of time at two close locations so that would make police wonder if there’s a relationship between the two. There’s definitely similar MOs and RCMP would suspect there’s a potential relationship between both incidents.” In both incidents, Savinkoff said, an employee was bear sprayed, which while leaving no long-lasting effects is very painful.
Deep freeze doesn’t stop Malanka BY JANA SEMENIUK The annual St. Michael Malanka Ukrainian New Year’s Eve celebration could not be stopped by intense cold temperatures that broke records across the province. Despite dropping to -38 and below, nearly all the people still came. As customary, tickets for the celebration sold
out before Christmas and organizer Mae Adamyk said approximately 20 of the more than 300 didn’t make it out for the event. One special treat, new for the celebration this year was the singing of the Ukrainian national anthem before dinner by 10-year-old Bryn Weleschuk. Weleschuk, who has been singing since
age five, said she was a bit nervous. “I was not expecting this many people,” she said smiling. “Overall it was fun.” Weleschuk said she has previously sung the national anthem at local hockey games. Adamyk said she arranged for Weleschuk to sing at the celebration
through a friend, Weleschuk’s grandmother, but never actually heard her sing. She described feeling overwhelmed the first time she heard Weleschuk’s beautiful voice. “Just before that evening started, I never met Bryn in my life, and I wanted her to be comfortable with me. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2