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Vol. 17, No. 43, Wednesday, September 21, 2022 www.LamontLeader.com
Criminals attack Bruderheim with one truck theft, two other attempts in a week
BY JANA SEMENIUK A team of Bruderheim truck thieves made off with one truck last week and were scared off by vehicle alarms from stealing two others. Police were unavailable to confirm if the same perpetrators were responsible for all three incidents. Bruderheim resident Cyril Fleming’s 2019 black Dodge Ram Classic truck was parked on the street in front of his Brookside Park home when he went to bed Sept. 12. He got up for work at three in the morning on Sept. 13 and climbed into his second vehicle, a work jeep, without noticing the empty spot where his Dodge used to be. “I was at work when I got a call from my wife Wendy. She never calls me at work, so I knew something was wrong,” he said. “She asked me where my truck was. I told her in front of the house. She said, no it’s not.” The Flemings reported the theft to police and later that day, the truck was found abandoned on Range Road 204 and stripped bare. “The entire front end which has all the headlights, the grill, everything. The fog lights and bottom bumper, the whole front end (was taken) right off the front of the truck,” said Fleming. “And they also took the entire box off the truck. I mean that's not an easy feat; you need at least four guys for that.” Footage from the Flemings home security camera showed two individuals strapping the truck to another vehicle and towing it away at 1:52 a.m. Fleming said the entire theft took three and a half minutes. “My younger brother is an automotive guy. He told me he (the thief) cut the transmission shift cable so that they can shift it without having the truck turned on,” he said. “The police said they are professionals.” Fleming said he has owned the new truck for three years and it only had 37
Fort Saskatchewan Constable Phillippe Craig-St. Louis stands with an unidentified tow truck driver and the owner of the stolen truck, Cyril Fleming, looking on at what remains of the truck stolen earlier that day, Sept. 13., from Bruderheim. Photo: Wendy Fleming
taken from his truck. 000 kilometers on it. “Four years ago, my wife gave me “I’m mad. I'm not buying another truck. I'm 56 years old here in two two little boxing gloves (attached with weeks. That was going to be my truck a string) with the newfoundland flag into retirement. That's why I babied it, on them. I hung then from my rearview mirror, and and it had the low they even took kilometers on it,” that,” he said he said. “I don't i n c r e d u l o u s l y. want to do it (go “There must be a back to truck payNewfie in their ments) at this group.” stage in my life Meanwhile, and I worked too three days later hard to buy it in Sept. 16, thieves the first place. I’m were at it again done.” when Bruderheim In addition to resident Bob his truck being Wutzke was joltstolen and ed awake at 3:00 destroyed, a.m. by his truck Fleming was disalarm going off. turbed about - Cyril Fleming He had a truck something else
“
I’m mad. I'm not buying another truck. I'm 56 years old here in two weeks. That was going to be my truck into retirement.
”
stolen from the front of his Brookside home this past May, and the 2005 Chevy truck he bought to replace it luckily came with an alarm. “I thought I better go look outside my window and here my light was on, flashing on my truck so then I went outside but I couldn't see anybody,” he said. Wutzke immediately called the RCMP and posted the incident on social media to let others know in town. Another resident soon posted a similar experience only 15 minutes later. Brianna Radcliffe and her husband Jesse were also awakened to the sound of their truck alarm, a 2006 Chevy three quarter ton, at 3:30 a.m. “He (Jesse) went out to look, and the front passenger door handle had been popped off and the door was cracked open. Once it opened the alarm went off and whoever was there ran off,” said Brianna by text message. Despite the attempted theft, Brianna said she still feels safe in town and was happy with the police response. “Things like this happen everywhere and we are aware the model of truck we have is favoured to thieves,” she said. “We just plan on taking better caution in parking where the (motion sensor) lights will turn on.” Wutzke said more policing might help the problem of vehicle theft. “Maybe (we need) more policing,” he said. “It just seems to be a big crime thing. I think all over, not just us here. But our lines have been hit pretty hard here in the last six months.” Police were unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, a police town hall is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Lamont Recreation Centre with the Fort Saskatchewan Police Detachment, where crime prevention initiatives will be shared followed by a question-andanswer period.