Trio arrested near Duchess regarding alleged copper theft
By Medicine Hat News on January 31, 2024.
@MedicineHatNews Mounties detained three people in a pickup truck northeast of Duchess on Monday suspecting the trio were stealing from oilfield sites. The Drumheller RCMP detachment reported receiving a report from Brooks that a truck was travelling north on Highway 36 at about 9:30 a.m., and the vehicle was stopped at about 11 a.m. on Highway 848, near Dorothy at the Red Deer River. Police say they found a large amount of copper wire and contraband cigarettes in the vehicle. Matthew Johnson, 43, Melanie Jones, 42, both of Calgary, and Domingos Dacunha, 56, of Wheatland County, were each charged with possessing stolen property valued over $5,000. Johnson was also charged with obstructing a police officer and had six outstanding arrest warrants. He was remanded in custody and is next due in court Feb. 1 at Siksika Court of Justice. Jones and Dacunha were released on bail and will next appear in court March 22 in Hanna. Brooks RCMP are continuing to investigate the thefts. Kindersley bust A small amount of drugs and firearm ammunition were recovered during a search of a home in Kindersley on Jan. 25, according to the RCMP detachment in the area and the Saskatchewan Critical Incident Response team. Authorities say a firearms investigation led them to the home where they found an air-soft pellet handgun, a loaded magazine, ammunition, about 12 grams of cocaine, 5.5 grams of methamphetamine, cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia. A 34-year-old male resident of the town is facing one count of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. 13-12
