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Vol. 17, No. 1, Wednesday, November 24, 2021 www.LamontLeader.com
Carjacking victim speaks out “... the next thing I know I’ve got a shotgun pointed at my face” BY JANA SEMENIUK Andrew resident Ed Tait, 59, felt lucky to be alive after a carjacking at gunpoint left him stranded on Highway 29, Nov. 16 at approximately 5:40 a.m. Tait said he was driving west on Highway 29, on his way to work, and was eight kilometers from Lamont when he spotted a motorist needing assistance. “If it was a normal day, I wouldn’t have stopped because we’ve seen a lot of rural crime over the years. The only reason I stopped was because it was snowing,” he said. “I was driving west towards Lamont, and I saw a truck in the ditch. I saw someone waving in a dark outfit and it was a girl in platinum blonde hair.” Tait stopped his car and exchanged some words with the girl when two men approached from behind the car. “The girl said something strange to me and the next thing I know I’ve got a shotgun pointed at my face and I’m being told to get out of the car,” he said. Tait stared in disbelief. “I said ‘are you f#@king kidding me?’” he said. “They told me to get out of the car or they would shoot me in the face.” An approaching car gave Tait hope that someone would see what was happening. “I saw headlights behind me, so I delayed until the cars were up on me,” he said. “One of the guys was pounding on the passenger side window, demanding me to unlock the car but I wasn’t going to help him. I just backed
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away without saying anything and let them have the car.” A passing motorist picked Tait up and drove him to a gas station in Lamont where he called 911. Meanwhile, after the Vegreville RCMP detachment responded to a break and enter at the Mundare Pharmacy earlier on Nov. 16, Sargent Robert Daisley from the Two Hills detachment responded to a carjacking call at 5:45 a.m. “I got a call that a carjacking had - Ed Tait occurred on Highway 29, then another call about a second car jacking,” he said. Daisley said that the drama began with four suspects coming into the area on Nov. 16. “After the four suspects came into the area by truck, they stole another truck in Mundare and used the stolen truck to break into the Mundare Pharmacy where they stole mostly medication,” he said. After the suspects had the stolen truck loaded with medication, they returned to their original truck. “They transferred the stolen goods into their original truck and then burned the stolen truck,” said Daisley. “They drove away in their truck then they hit a ditch.” Daisley said one of the suspects left the truck to look for help. “He walked up to a house, and they called a tow truck. The landowner offered him a ride back up to his vehicle to wait for the tow truck to come. When they got to the scene, somebody
They told me to get out of the car or they would shoot me in the face.
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else came up to him and pointed a one woman, one of the men was on shotgun on him demanding that he get parole. “One of the guys, we call him the out and give up his truck,” he said. Daisley said the landowner gave up main guy, is an inmate out on parole,” his truck and walked home to call said Daisley in an earlier interview with The Lamont police and report the Leade. While he did carjacking. Meannot reveal details of while, one of the four the man’s crime or suspects was passed where he had served out in the truck and his time, Daisley said left there by the oththe man was immeers. The remaining diately sent back to three suspects were prison. about to experience “I didn’t look more trouble when to see exactly what leaving in the newly he was out for, but stolen truck. we made arrange“After the landownments for him to go er left, they transdirectly back to ferred the stolen prison,” he said. “We medication from aren’t releasing any their original truck of their names until into the new stolen the information has truck, drove about been sworn.” 150 feet and got Meanwhile, stuck,” said Daisley. although Daisley “Then they flagged doesn’t want to disdown a vehicle that courage people from came down the highSgt Robert Daisley helping stranded way and carjacked motorists, he said if him with the shotpeople are feeling unsafe doing so, gun.” The second carjacking was Ed Tait. they can always contact police. “People can always call us. If you The suspects drove Tait’s car for 10 miles before becoming stuck in another don't feel comfortable, feel free to call us and tell us there's somebody strandditch. Daisley described how the suspects ed and needs help. We’re happy to come and help for sure,” he said. were finally arrested. As for Ed Tait, he said he will not be “The suspects walk to a farm (after getting stuck in the ditch) and asked stopping to help anyone on the highfor a ride into Waskatenau and rented a way again. “Never. I don't normally stop couple of hotel rooms there. We posted on Facebook that we were looking for because of what was going on over the this car and found out where the sus- years (rural crime),” he said. “Now, if pects were. We surrounded the hotel it’s snowing, I’ll pull ahead, call the and they surrendered peacefully. We RCMP and keep on driving but there's no way I’m stopping.” also got the shot gun,” he said. Of the four suspects, three men and